East Fife have been boosted by the news that midfielder Robert Sloan’s knee injury is not as serious as first thought.
The Methil club had feared the 27-year-old might have suffered serious damage to his cruciate ligament in the 3-1 defeat against Dumbarton which could have put Sloan out for six to nine months and even shortened his career.
But, while the injury is still expected to keep Sloan sidelined for the rest of the season, club physio Brian McNeil said Sloan has a “bucket handle tear” of cartilage in his knee and could return in 10 weeks.
After further tests over the weekend, Sloan was operated on on Sunday and is in a full leg splint as he begins his recovery.
“We’re obviously glad that it’s shorter-term than we had thought and he’ll probably miss the next eight to 10 weeks,” McNeil said. “It would be a bonus if we could get him back before the end of the season but, as we’ve only got 12 weeks or so left, it’s likely he’ll still be out for the rest of the season.”
Meanwhile, defender Stevie Campbell is eyeing a first-team return after breaking his leg in the Scottish Cup clash with Aberdeen on January 8.
He has returned to full training and could be available within two weeks.