Hibernian was dealt a major injury earlier in the season after it was reported that recent signing Aiden McGeady faced the prospect of being out for more than two months.
The 36-year-old has suffered a recurrence of a medial cruciate ligament problem that kept him out of the league against Sunderland from November until the end of last season.
The former Republic of Ireland international, who joined Hibs on a year-long deal earlier this summer, is staring at the possibility of playing until at least October.
“It’s a disappointment,” manager Lee Johnson said as he revealed the news about McGeady during his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Premier League opener to St Johnstone.
McGeady injures himself in pre-season friendly
“He will be sidelined for a sustained period after aggravating a previous medial collateral ligament injury. It’s difficult to set a schedule but it will be a minimum of six weeks, although perhaps the average is around approx. 10 weeks.
“First of all, I’m disappointed for Aiden. He’s worked incredibly hard to get back to a level of fitness that can perform at Premiership level and unfortunately this has happened.
“It’s not ideal but that’s why you have a squad. Somebody has to fill that void at leadership level and form. We’re just trying our best to rehabilitate him as much as possible. the faster the better.”
Johnson also explained his thinking behind the appointment of former Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall as Hibs’ new captain, with longtime captain Paul Hanlon stepping into the new ‘club captain’ role.
Marshall, who joined earlier this summer on a two-year deal after leaving QPR, wore the armband for much of this month’s ill-fated Premier Sports Cup campaign amid an injured defender Hanlon.
David Marshall is the new captain of Hibs
Ryan Porteous, 23, will be third in the captaincy as Johnson continues to contribute to the team following his appointment as boss in May.
“Honestly, it’s not really a change. “It’s a new mode, isn’t it? While it’s a new regime, you’re looking to bring the best qualities of each individual into that leadership role. In fact, I haven’t seen Hanlon kick a ball yet. in a fit of rage and I’ve seen a lot of David Marshall in this pre-season, that feels right.
“Paul Hanlon is an important part of the club going forward, not just short term but medium term and potentially long term. I think it’s a great role for him with greater responsibility. He’s going to be a club dad, if you like, and it’s a role he could ignore for a long time if he does well.
“The fact that Ryan Porteous will start focusing on that element of leadership is also important because it helps him translate that aggression into the controlled aggression we want. Also, his will to win. he can be a positive thing for us.”
