Dunfermline will be without Kane Ritchie-Hosler for the start of the Championship season after he picked up an ankle injury in training.
The versatile attacker collided with Matty Todd in training and will now spend the next two or three months on the sidelines.
Ritchie-Hosler will go under the knife this week before working his way back to fitness.
Pars assistant manager Dave Mackay suggested it isn’t something that will bother the player in the long-term.
“It’s unfortunate but it’s just an incident in training, an awkward one – he bumped into Matty Todd and he’s hurt his ankle,” said Mackay.
Kane Ritchie-Hosler injury an ‘innocuous’ incident
“He’s needing surgery. He’ll be getting an operation – I think it’s Thursday he’s booked in for.
“So he’ll be missing for the next two or three months, which is disappointing for him because he was so good for us last season.
“He came in looking really fit pre-season, but it’s just one of those one’s that’s just innocuous and he’s just came off it the worst.
“We’re gutted for him, first and foremost. He’s a young kid and we don’t want to see him injured, but it’s not an injury that’s going to really affect his career going forward.
“It’s something that will get tidied up, it’ll get fixed, and we expect him back in the next 8-12 weeks.”
Decent draw for Pars against St Johnstone
The injury meant Ritchie-Hosler sat out the last two friendlies, including Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with St Johnstone at KDM Group East End Park.
Craig Wighton was on target for Dunfermline before Graham Carey’s emphatic equaliser.
Sam Fisher was replaced before half-time after receiving treatment but Mackay said he was replaced as a precaution more than anything else.
“He wanted to go back on, but we made the decision just to take him off and be a wee bit cautious with that one,” added Mackay, who was pleased with how his side competed with Premiership opposition.
Good workout
“I thought the first 25 minutes or so we were excellent. We moved the ball really well, created a lot of chances.
“We only scored one of them, which was disappointing.
“But on the whole, I thought there were real good passages of play. At times they had spells as well.
“It was a good workout. At this stage of the season, the boys have played a lot of minutes now, they’re looking fit, so we’re in a good place.”
