Boyle out for the season after knee surgery
HIBERNIAN were last night dealt a hammer blow when it emerged Martin Boyle will miss the rest of the season after undergoing a knee operation in Qatar. The 29-year-old winger withdrew from Australia’s World Cup squad hours before the tournament started last Sunday. He then posted a picture of himself watching the Socceroos take on France from a hospital bed, sparking fears that his injury may have been more serious than first suspected. Now it’s been confirmed by his club that he has come through an operation on ‘a pre-existing ruptured anterior cruciate ligament’, with the recovery period set to rule the Easter Road talisman out of action until the summer. ‘It has been a tough few weeks for Martin,’ said Hibs boss Lee Johnson. ‘We are all gutted for him. ‘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.’ Hibs tweeted: ‘The club can confirm that Martin Boyle will miss the rest of the 2022-23 season after undergoing surgery on his knee. ‘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.’ Boyle, who returned to Easter Road this summer after a January move to Al Faisaly in Saudi Arabia, has not featured since coming off injured during a 3-0 win against St Mirren on October 29. He previously missed the second half of the 2018-19 season after knee surgery and had to undergo another operation the following summer. Boyle opted to play for Australia, the country of his father’s birth, in 2018 but has yet to represent his adopted country at a major tournament, having also been ruled out just days before the 2019 Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates after picking up a knee injury during a warm-up friendly against Oman. ‘Not really sure I can put this into words how gutted I am to withdraw from the World Cup squad,’ Boyle posted on Instagram last Sunday. ‘Gave it my all to be fit and it just wasn’t to be this time unfortunately. Extremely proud to have been selected and to have played my part in qualifying for the tournament. ‘Grateful to be kept in camp and show my full support to the lads on and off the field and to experience the whole World Cup. ‘Will no doubt be back stronger than ever but for now my full focus is on being the vibe manager for the lads.’ Melbourne City’s Marco Tilio was flown in as Boyle’s replacement.