Hip surgery has brought Dave Mackay’s season to a premature end – and the St Johnstone captain may not be back in time for the start of the next campaign.
Manager Tommy Wright revealed that the experienced defender has been receiving injections for several months, but a long-term solution is now required.
And the operation can’t be delayed until the close-season due to the surgeon’s busy summer schedule.
Wright reported: “Dave Mackay will miss the next two games. He is going in for an operation on his hip. It is down to wear and tear.
“He has had a few injections throughout the season to keep him going. Some worked, some didn’t.
“It has been planned for a while. But we have held off as long as possible.
“He is looking at three to four months recovery time.
“We have to get it done but it was down to the surgeon’s availability. He is one of the few people who do this operation and the best in Europe. The only date available in his schedule is May 16. David can’t play Friday night because he will be off to Coventry to be prepared for surgery.”
Wright paid tribute to his skipper for getting through a season in far from ideal circumstances.
“His performances have been excellent,” he said. “He has been superb again for us this season.
“But it was getting to the stage that if the injections don’t work he could miss large parts of the season.
“If we don’t get it done now David could miss four to six weeks of next season, maybe more. And I’m not prepared to risk it.
“I had my input but it is a biggish operation and he had to be comfortable with it. David realises he would need the operation at some point in his life, next year or when he retires. But by getting it done now he can prolong his career.
“I think this is the right decision he has made.”
He added: “And Gary Miller has come in and done well for us in recent weeks.
“We have worked with five or six fit defenders all season and have had to manage it.”