Hibs and Australia anxiously wait for Martin Boyle scan results as World Cup place hangs in balance

Hibs forward Martin Boyle goes off injured against St Mirren and there are fears the Australian may miss the World Cup.

The talismanic attacker, who has five goals and one assist from 12 matches this term, opened the scoring in Saturday’s 3-0 cinch Premiership win over St Mirren but was then forced to limp off early in the second half with a knee injury. Speaking after that match, Hibss boss Lee Johnson said he hoped the numbness Boyle felt in his leg was due to contact with a nerve but he added that he would be saying a prayer for him, especially given the player’s history with knee problems and the World Cup looming large.

With the knee badly bruised, Boyle had a scan on his damaged leg on Tuesday morning and the results are expected back on Wednesday. According to club insiders, the latest suspicion is that the 29-year-old has nicked his meniscus and while that would eventually require a tidy-up operation, everyone concerned at club and international level is clinging to the hope that he may still be able to play for Australia at the Wold Cup, which kicks off in three weeks.

The Socceroos have yet to finalise their squad for Qatar 2022, but the Scottish-born striker – who has netted five goals in 19 appearances for his adopted country – was instrumental in helping them book their place in the finals. He was all but guaranteed a spot in Graham Arnold’s selection will be hoping he can recover in time to make the cut.