Ross County midfielder Scott Allardice is facing three months on the sidelines due to a knee injury.
Allardice has not featured since County’s 2-2 draw against Hearts at Tynecastle on December 30, with the injury keeping him out of the Staggies’ 3-0 loss to Aberdeen three days later.
The news comes as a blow to Allardice, who had established himself as a regular in Derek Adams’ initial weeks in the job after he replaced Malky Mackay at Victoria Park.
Allardice, who joined on a free transfer from Caley Thistle in the summer, will now require an operation which means he is now facing the prospect of being ruled out for the bulk of the Staggies’ remaining Premiership matches this season.
Adams said: “We have Scott Allardice out for three months with a knee injury.
“He’s away for an operation and that changes personnel.
“Scott is one that had played every minute for me.”
Allardice among a number of injury concerns
Following County’s 3-0 defeat to Championship side Partick Thistle at the weekend, the Staggies return to league action with a trip to champions Celtic on Saturday.
Adams says injuries are beginning to stack up within his squad, with his defensive options particularly depleted.
He added: “We’ve got the captain Jack Baldwin out this weekend through suspension, and he’s injured as well.
“We’ve got Ryan Leak, who is going for an x-ray on his ankle after I think it was Brian Graham that fell on top of him.
“Will Nightingale is away to Wimbledon to get an injection in his knee, Dylan Smith is out for 12 weeks and Ross Callachan is out.
“Ben Purrington moved out – he wanted to move back to the south-west, so we have to change things there.
“It’s all about continuity, and we need to have continuity throughout the squad.
“When you add it all up, these are senior players out with long-term injuries.
“When you are a manager trying to pick a team, it’s not easy at times because you don’t know who is going to be fit until a Friday.”
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