Hibs suffer huge Martin Boyle blow as extent of season-ending injury confirmed

Hibs will be without Martin Boyle for the remainder of the season after the club confirmed he has undergone surgery on his injured knee.

The 29-year-old picked up a knock during a 3-0 home win over St Mirren at the end of October. He missed the subsequent three games but was still called up by Australia for the World Cup. However, the forward had to drop out of the squad ahead of the Socceroos’ opener against France, taking on the role of “vibes manager”.

The suspected meniscus injury was worse than first feared with scans revealing a pre-existing ruptured ACL. Boyle underwent surgery in Qatar but will miss the rest of the campaign.

“It has been a tough few weeks for Martin and we are all gutted for him,” Hibs manager Lee Johnson told the club’s website. “Now, it’s up to us to rally around him and make sure we support him on every level throughout his recovery.

“Short term – it is a big blow for us, but we will do everything we can to support Martin to make sure he comes back fitter, stronger and a better player than before, just like Kevin Nisbet has shown in his recovery.”

Boyle scored five goals in 12 games after returning to the club from a stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Faisaly FC.

A statement read: “Everyone at Hibernian FC wishes Martin the best with his recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the pitch as soon as possible.”