INJURED striker Tom Pope has urged his Bury team-mates to bounce back without him when they take on derby rivals Rochdale at Spotland on Saturday.

The 31-year-old revealed he expects to be out for up to 10 weeks after breaking three ribs and suffering a punctured lung in last weekend's disappointing 3-1 defeat at Peterborough.

Bury were already reeling from long-term injuries to key defenders Nathan Cameron, Craig Jones and Leon Barnett.

Pope's setback is another huge blow for the Shakers after playing an integral part in their early season form.

They remain third in the table, despite back-to-back defeats in League One, and the experienced frontman believes there is enough depth and quality in the squad to maintain their push for promotion, with key midfielders Tom Soares and Jacob Mellis due to return from suspension.

Although Pope admits he is upset to miss back-to-back derbies against Rochdale and Bolton, who are due to visit Gigg Lane a week on Monday.

“We are not a one man team” he told the Bury Times. “We had a settled midfield before Peterborough with Jacob Mellis and Tom Soares and they were missed.

“We have injuries to a lot of players meaning players have had to play out of position. It's tough, it's not like we only have one or two injured so it's up to the gaffer to pick the strongest XI he can.

“It's up to the lads to come together and grind out the wins even when we have a lot of players missing and I'm confident they will.

“I'm obviously upset to be missing some huge games. As a player these are the games that you want to be part of.

“I missed a few of the games against Rochdale last year but I've been told if I thought those games were big then the Bolton one's a completely different level.”

Pope has also spoken about his injury, which he picked up in an early clash with Posh goalkeeper Luke McGee on Saturday.

The striker spent two days at Peterborough City Hospital, where specialists advised it could take up to 10 weeks for him to make a full recovery.

“I'm not sure exactly when I'll be back but the specialist said it could take around eight to 10 weeks so I'm hopeful of being back for the new year,” Pope said.

“It's tough when you have a rib injury because they never stop moving as you're constantly breathing so they don't get time to heal.

“The pain has been horrendous. I have been really groggy too and constantly coughing and sneezing, which makes it hurt even more – the pain actually brings me close to tears.”