John McGlynn has revealed that he added Lewis Vaughan to the Raith Rovers squad to face Dunfermline at just nine hours’ notice after the player begged to be involved.
The Rovers boss mooted a six-week absence for the talismanic attacker just 10 days ago, citing a suspected torn meniscus in his knee.
Vaughan, 25, sat out recent fixtures against Inverness and Aberdeen due to the set-back.
However, Vaughan underwent further examinations with his long-term specialist consultant, Dr John Keating, on Friday and was told that, while there was a minor issue, it would not preclude him from playing.
And the determined striker was straight onto the phone to his gaffer to secure his place in the match-day squad for the ill-fated, ultimately abandoned Fife derby.
“It was great news to have Lewis back,” said McGlynn. “He was out seeing the specialist [on Friday] morning.
“He met Mr Keating at 10.25am and he was on the phone by about 10.40am saying: ‘I want a game!’
“It was good news. Dr Keating told him that the scan is showing that there is something there, and that’s why he had to see him.
“He’s examined the knee and there is something. But he’s said that it’s not so bad and Lewis can carry on. We might get six weeks; we might six months; it might come back; we might get lucky.”
‘There is no concern whatsoever’
Alleviating any fears that the issue is related to Vaughan’s three previous cruciate knee ligament injuries, McGlynn continued: “The knee, the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and everything around the knee that was worked on — there is no concern whatsoever.
“There won’t be any damage to that. It’s the meniscus.
“If the worst does comes to the worst, we do a little keyhole surgery — six weeks and he’ll be back. That’s good news.”
