William Akio is facing a period on the sidelines early in his Ross County career after suffering a knee injury setback.
Forward Akio made his debut as a first half substitute in the 7-0 Premier Sports Cup victory over East Fife.
It came just days after he made the switch from Canadian outfit Valour FC.
He made an instant impact, providing two assists during the rampant win, however he was forced off with a knee issue late in the game.
Early indications have shown knee damage, with the 24-year-old awaiting further assessment.
Akio is expected to be sidelined for Saturday’s Premiership opener away to Hearts.
Staggies boss Malky Mackay says he has taken steps to keep Akio, who signed a three-year contract, upbeat regardless of his length of absence.
Mackay said: “William is not so good.
“He has sustained some knee damage, and we have to wait to see how long that’s going to be.
“It’s really unfortunate, but there was nothing he could do – his studs caught in the turf as he turned.
“It has been tender and sore this week, so we’re dealing with that and we’ll see.
“It’s disappointing because of the impact he had when he came on, but he signed a long term contract here.
“That’s what I told him – relax, because he has a long contract here, and it’s a relatively short period he’s going to be out.”
Sims and Samuel back in contention for Staggies
Akio had come on to replace Josh Sims, who was forced off with a calf issue after only half an hour of the win over East Fife.
Striker Dominic Samuel was also absent due to a wrist injury, however Mackay says both players are now back in contention.
He added: “Josh was just a kick, but it was getting tight as the day went on.
“He had one day off, then he was back training again.
“Dom jarred his wrist on the pitch at Alloa.
“He will play with a bit of protection on it.
“He’s back involved fine, he has trained this week, but he’ll have a wee bit of protection on his wrist.
“Other than that, we’re looking at a full group at the moment.”
Mackay supportive of Premier Sports Cup format
County start their league campaign fresh from a successful Premier Sports Cup group campaign, which saw them set up a last-16 tie at home to Celtic.
The competition format has come under criticism from some quarters, including Hibernian manager Lee Johnson and St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson.
Mackay insists he is supportive of the early group stage, which he feels has provided a strong preparation for the forthcoming league campaign.
He added: “I know there have been various comments on it, but I really like it. It gives a little bit of an edge to every game.
“No matter the teams you are playing against, the result matters.
“That build up to the league season worked quite well for us, I think.
“I’m not really caring what anybody says, nobody has beaten anybody 7-0 in this cup over the last three or four weeks in any game.
“For us to be so clinical, and for our new guys to be able to adapt to that, I was absolutely delighted.”
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