Gary Deegan has broken jaw after attack outside club

HIBERNIAN midfielder Gary Deegan will be sidelined for “a number of weeks” because of a broken jaw sustained in an alleged assault at the weekend.

The Irishman was hospitalised in the early hours of Sunday morning, just hours after his team went top of the Premier League, and underwent surgery yesterday.

He had been out celebrating with team-mates, including skipper James McPake, Leigh Griffiths and Paul Hanlon, in the wake of the 3-0 victory over Dundee that propelled Pat Fenlon’s side to the top of the SPL until Celtic displaced them with Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Hearts.

According to Lothian and Borders Police, Deegan was standing outside a nightclub on George Street in Edinburgh around 3am on Sunday when he was approached by another man and punched in the face. The former Coventry City player was later picked up by an ambulance that had been called by a member of the public and taken to hospital, where he received “treatment on a broken jaw”.

With police having since appealed for witnesses in their hunt for the attacker, Hibs’ focus has turned to Deegan’s treatment and his recovery.

It was confirmed by the club that the Dubliner has been operated on to repair the damage sustained in the attack but the Easter Road club are as yet uncertain for how long he will be out of action.

A club spokesperson said: “Gary was the victim of an unprovoked attack at the weekend and has since had surgery. It is not clear at this stage how long he will be out for but it will be a number of weeks.”

Deegan, signed on a one-year deal at the start of the season, has been credited by Fenlon with adding some physical presence to Hibs this season and his absence will be a setback to the capital team.

The 25-year-old has already suffered a major injury setback in his career, missing all but the final game of the 2010-11 season with Coventry due to a stress fracture of the ankle.