I don't think any team goes through a season with the same first eleven, so any player missing that is half decent will be missed to a certain extent. But what you and others are saying (stats back you up) is that promotion is unlikely unless Stephens plays in the majority of the remaining...
I don't need to rethink anything, thanks.
Are you saying without Stephens we will go into freefall and fail to get promoted? We are more than one player, even Hughton said our best performance came without him playing v Sheff Wed. I'm not saying he isn't a decent player either.
He'll be back when he's ready. Physically or mentally.
Meanwhile we are a squad of extraordinary talent that is second in the table. We will survive perfectly well until he is selected for the first team/squad.