Motherwell will be without captain Paul McGinn for at least four months following an injury sustained during their recent Scottish Premiership match against Hibernian.
The experienced defender was forced to leave the pitch in the first half, prompting concerns about his condition.
After medical evaluation, it has been confirmed that McGinn will require surgery on his thigh.
This unfortunate development means that he is likely to miss the remainder of the season, providing a blow to manager Stuart Kettlewell's options.
The 34-year-old was previously absent from early October until returning for a win over Aberdeen on January 5.
Now two brief appearances later, McGinn is sadly back on the Fir Park treatment table.
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“We’ve obviously encountered a lot of issues since the start of the season,” Kettlewell said as he previewed Motherwell's Scottish Cup tie against St Johnstone.
“But I would feel that in terms of injuries, that this is possibly the worst stage that we’re at.
“Looking at the board the other day, we were looking at nine pretty serious injuries and nine players that we’re without. That’s hard for us to absorb, of course it is.
“And from that, you’re looking at a lot of significant players, and some players that have been very good for us, some for a long period of time, some since they came to the football club.
“So it’s not an excuse. It’s just that in an injury front, it’s a bleak outlook. Me as always, I’m the most positive person in the world, and what we do is focus on the players that are available and that’s what I’ve done since the start of the season.”
