Lee Johnson says he can't quite come to terms with the fact Hibs talisman Martin Boyle has been carrying an ACL injury for seven years.
The winger was ruled out of Australia's World Cup run after a knock in a Premiership match with St Mirren, but surgery on a damaged meniscus uncovered a ligament problem scans could not. Boyle has admitted it could have been there for years but Johnson isn't so sure, although he admits the devastating diagnosis has forced him to change his plans for their return to Premiership action against Rangers on December 15th.
It's also going to be hard to fill the void which the Socceroo star will leave for the rest of the season, even with Kevin Nisbet set to boost his attacking options. Hibs boss Johnson told the Edinburgh Evening News : "There was fluid that showed up in and around the ACL area in the original scan but they believed that was part of the contact.
"When they went in, the surgeon – one of the world’s top surgeons – was originally planning to shave the meniscus and it was going to be a three-week injury.
"So Martin was in my team for Rangers, then we get an email saying unfortunately it’s an eight-to-nine month injury. It could have been in the contact (in the St Mirren game).
"I find it hard to believe that it’s an ACL that’s been there for seven years. It’s been protected by his abnormal meniscus, that’s the experts’ best-informed guess.
"If they had just trimmed the meniscus that would have led to a point where he would come back, and then crumble with an ACL failure because there is nothing there.
"We can do our best to replace Martin but he is one of our stellar signings. If this was MLS he would be our marquee player. We just can’t cope in terms of maximising ourselves without our best players."
READ NEXT
