Raith Rovers have been dealt a major injury blow after Lewis Vaughan was ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury.
The 25-year-old sat out Rovers’ 1-0 defeat against Inverness on Saturday after complaining of slight discomfort, although boss John McGlynn revealed that Vaughan was willing to play.
But given Vaughan’s history of three separate cruciate ligament ruptures, McGlynn decided to err on the side of caution and send the front-man for a scan.
An experienced specialist pored over those results earlier this week and has diagnosed a torn meniscus – an area of cartilage near the kneecap.
While the absence of Vaughan, with four goals in five appearances already this season, is far from ideal, McGlynn is cognisant that it could have been much worse.
And the Rovers gaffer has been assured the damage bears no relation to the player’s previous woes.
“The news could have been worse and it could have been better,” said McGlynn, who welcomes Aberdeen to Stark’s Park in the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday.
“Lewis has a torn meniscus, so we are looking at six weeks out.
“A specialist looked at the scan and Lewis will meet with him next Friday. That will tell us for definite, and will be a hands-on assessment.
“However, the indications are that we are looking at the six-week mark.”
Vaughan’s set-back follows hot on the heels of key midfielder Brad Spencer being ruled out for between four and six weeks with a fractured foot.