BY IAIN COLLIN – @CCP_sport
Raith Rovers have been dealt a massive blow after it emerged skipper Jason Thomson will be out for up to two months with a broken bone in his back.
The former Hearts defender has already been sidelined for a month with a back injury but the true extent of the problem has only surfaced following an appointment with an osteopath last week.
The full-back heads an extensive injury list that manager Ray McKinnon admits leaves the Kirkcaldy club ‘down to the bare bones’ for Saturday’s home clash with Rangers.
Defender Lewis Toshney is a major doubt with a hamstring problem and forward Mitch Megginson has medial ligament damage.
Both of them missed Saturday’s Scottish Cup win over Elgin City and, since that 2-1 victory, the Fifers also have doubts over Kyle Benedictus, Ryan McCord and Grant Anderson, whilst Mark Stewart has been playing through the pain barrier for weeks with an ankle problem.
It is likely to be Friday before McKinnon has an idea of the line-up he can field against Rangers and he admits it is not ideal for such a massive test.
McKinnon, who is relishing the prospect of back-to-back encounters with Hibernian in the New Year after yesterday’s Scottish Cup draw, said: “Jason had a scan and it showed a fracture in his back. We’re not really sure how long he’s going to be out for but it could take up to two months to settle down.
“It’s a real blow for the club and for the lad, because he’s an important player for us and we were really hoping to have him back.
“There’s quite a few others we’re monitoring and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the weekend.
“Mitch and Tosher missed the weekend and Benedictus, Anderson and McCord haven’t trained this week. Mark Stewart’s been brilliant playing through an ankle injury as well.
“We’re down to the bare bones and we’ll just have to see what we’ve got available on Friday.”
