Forres Mechanics forward Lee Fraser will be out of action for at least a year with a cruciate injury.
Knee injuries are nothing new to Lee or to his twin brother, Graham, a Forres defender.
Lee was out for 14 months, missing most of the Mechanics’ 2011- 12 championship-winning season when a training-ground injury left him with a shattered kneecap, while Graham suffered a serious cruciate injury three years ago, and was out for 12 months.
Lee said: “It’s the other knee this time around. It happened in the first of back-to-back games against Deveronvale. I jumped to head the ball and when I came down, I tried to turn and my studs caught in the ground. It was as easy as that. My twin brother Graham has already suffered exactly the same injury as I have, although he tells me that he can’t remember too much about it.
“I know that I’m going to need an operation but as yet I don’t have a date. My GP told me but I’ve yet to hear from the surgeon, the sooner the better as far as I’m concerned.
“As well as cruciate I also have cartilage damage, exactly the same as Graham had when he picked up his injury, it definitely helps that I know he has made a complete recovery.
“When I had the injury on my other knee I was out for 14 months, so that’s both my knees I’ve had serious injuries with.
The goalscoring bricklayer added: “I was off my work when it happened but I’m going to carry on with work until I get my operation, and I expect to be off for a while after that.
“Surprisingly, the pain in my knee when I’m at work hasn’t been too bad really, it’s weird, one day it’s sore and the next it can feel fine but I don’t think the cold weather helps.”