Dundee United defender Declan Gallagher will visit a specialist on Wednesday as he struggles with a persistent groin issue.
The Scotland international missed the Tangerines’ 2-0 win over Raith Rovers on Saturday, with Sam McClelland deputising with aplomb alongside Ross Graham.
And the Tannadice outfit will take expert advice regarding the best course of action with Gallagher’s recovery, with Goodwin acknowledging that the player was in “a lot of discomfort”.
Gallagher underwent surgery to repair a groin issue in January and, while that operation was a success, the latest set-back is in the same area.
“Gall is going to see a specialist on Wednesday, so we’ll see what the outcome of that is,” said Goodwin.
“It’s a bit of a strange one. He’s had the (groin) surgery and the injury is repaired, so hopefully there’s nothing too sinister there.
“It’s still in that area. They’ve repaired the groin, but it’s a hernia-type injury which is something that can happen to senior players – a wear-and-tear issue. It’s grumbling away, and we need it to be right.
“There are a lot of players who can get by at 70% or 80%, but Gall is feeling 50/50 at the moment and it’s giving him a lot of discomfort.”
Kevin Holt’s season could be over
Meanwhile, Kevin Holt faces a race against time to play any part in United’s Championship title run-in.
A scan on the knee injury he sustained against Inverness a fortnight ago has confirmed ligament damage, albeit less severe than Tannadice medical chiefs initially feared.
“He has some ligament damage and it’ll be touch-and-go whether we see Kev before the end of the season,” continued Goodwin.
“It’s not as bad as we first feared and it doesn’t look like it’ll require surgery, which is great news. It’s just a matter of how long the healing process will take.
“We’ll push him as much as possible. But as I say: touch-and-go.”
Holt is among a swathe of players out of contract this summer and Goodwin has been clear that no extensions can be offered until the club knows what division it will be in next term.
Nevertheless, Holt will be well looked after regardless of what his future holds.
“We’ll see him right, absolutely,” added Goodwin. “I think he’s probably been the most consistent centre-half in the league.”
Graham and McClelland deserve to keep jerseys
Nevertheless, it now appears likely that the more youthful duo of McClelland and Graham will be charged with playing a major role in ensuring the Tangerines get over the line.
He added: “We are lucky that we have players like Sam McClelland and Ross Graham ready to step in, and both of those guys were outstanding against Raith Rovers.
“They deserve to keep their jerseys regardless of anything else.”
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