There is never a good time to be injured but missing out on the start of the season must be hard to take.

St Johnstone's recent signing Euan McLean will be the man in the middle of the goals at the start of the season as fellow 'keeper Alan Main will miss the start of the season thanks to an operation to repair a shoulder injury. With the squad due back for training this week, McLean will be getting ready for first team action earlier than he expected when he signed from Dundee United. He will be donning the gloves for the pre-season games and the initial games of the season. Main had been bothered by his shoulder towards the end of last season and took pain killing injections to get him through to the close season. He had hoped that the rest would be enough to see him ready for action again. However, a visit to a specialist changed all that and he had to go under the knife immediately.

Main said: "I was troubled with my shoulder towards the end of last season and I still don't know what caused it. There was no specific knock or noticeable collision, I just started to get a wee nipping feeling in the shoulder which we thought would be cleared up with a couple of injections. I went down to the specialist last week just for him to have a look at it and having examined it he then announced that I needed an operation and what's more the operation would take place there and then! It came as a bit of a shock - I hadn't planned on having the night in hospital - but it was better to get it done immediately so that I have the most time possible to get fit again."

The operation will spoilt Main's chance of improving on his appearances with the Saints this time around. Last season he only missed one league game but Main remains philosophical for the future. He said: "I didn't want this to happen and it is not the start to the new season I wanted but it is clear that another injection would have just masked the problem. This way, the op is done and I have set my self targets for getting back as early as possible into the campaign. It is important to me that I play a part in anything that can be achieved this season."

Editor
Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)

Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)

This is Scottish-Fitba.Net