SWINDON Town will have to change the dynamic of their frontline to compensate for the loss of striker Andy Williams, according to manager Paolo Di Canio.

Williams has been ruled out for around a month after picking up a calf injury during the 1-0 victory at Bury on Saturday, meaning Di Canio will have to name a starting line-up which does not feature the former Yeovil frontman for the first time this season when Coventry come calling tomorrow.

While Swindon are fortunate to have the talents of James Collins, Paul Benson, Adam Rooney and Miles Storey to fall back on, Di Canio is wary that Town will miss the bursts of pace and ability to make a chance out of nothing that Williams has provided the Robins since his arrival in June.

“Andy Williams is one month at least. One month for the main striker and one month for the guy who for us is crucial and has played every game,” said the Italian.

“Even if he didn’t score many goals, he is the one who broke the defensive line and stretched the opponents with his runs and attacking the space.

“Now we will play with different characteristics on the field, because we have the ability to play different quality people in different ways but it’s a fact that Andy Williams was crucial until today.

“If he didn’t score many goals he prepared the chance for the others to score a goal. One month out - during this month we do not have one or two games, we have six games.

“This is a chain. Football has got mechanisms which are strange, not only physical but psychological, and now he is out for one month.”

Di Canio has intimate knowledge of the fragile nature of Williams’ injury, having himself suffered from similar problems during his own, illustrious playing career.

And he stressed that the 26-year-old will not be rushed into a return.

“I realised straight away when he told me what he felt during the game because I had the same problem.

“It’s a very delicate situation. If you want to come back stronger it doesn’t take two weeks, you have to work, make it elastic, then after one month come back strong.

“One month can be three weeks, can be 33 days, I say one month because it took for me one month.

“We have to check gradually.”