Raith Rovers are facing an anxious wait to discover the extent of Lewis Vaughan’s latest injury.
It is understood the 28-year-old was scheduled to undergo a scan last night on the hamstring issue he sustained at the weekend.
The luckless fans’ favourite had to be substituted after just 17 minutes of the 3-3 draw against Hamilton Accies.
Starting his first game in seven weeks, and only his second of the season, Vaughan went down in agony moments before Lewis Stevenson’s sensational equaliser.
After lengthy treatment he eventually limped off and headed straight down the tunnel looking visibly distraught and in pain.
It is expected Raith will get the results of Vaughan’s hospital tests within the next 24 to 48 hours, with manager Neill Collins admitting on Saturday that initial indications were that it was ‘serious’.
Players suffering a hamstring strain or tear are usually sidelined for up to six weeks, but a more severe rupture will result in possible surgery and months out.
Anything beyond a minor strain will be another hammer blow for Vaughan, whose career has been blighted by four serious knee injuries that have robbed him of four years of action.
‘Something we need to look at’
Last season was his first uninterrupted campaign since 2017/18 and the fruits were there for all to see as he banged in 19 goals to finish as the club’s top scorer.
However, he began the new term with a groin issue that kept him out of the Premier Sports Cup group stage. Starting the opening league match then backfired when he subsequently sat out the next two games.
Vaughan’s hamstring problem follows on from issues to the same muscle suffered already this season by Jack Hamilton and Sam Stanton.
Hamilton made his comeback from six weeks out in the recent Fife derby defeat to Dunfermline and started his first league game of the season against Accies at the weekend.
Stanton was also sent for a scan after injuring his hamstring in the build-up to the derby and is not expected back in action until next month.
“We’ve got Sam in a similar position,” said Raith boss Neill Collins. “So, it’s something we need to look at and see what we can do to try to stop these things as much as possible.
“You can never completely rule it [injuries] out but it’s definitely something we need to consider.
“We’re missing too many right now.”
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