Caley Thistle have been dealt a blow after defender Kevin McNaughton underwent surgery on an Achilles injury which could rule him out for the rest of the season.
McNaughton suffered the injury during the first-half of Saturday’s 3-2 Highland derby defeat by Ross County, causing him to limp off the field to be replaced by Lewis Horner before leaving Caledonian Stadium on crutches.
Caley Thistle yesterday released a statement which read: “Kevin McNaughton has undergone surgery on his Achilles after the injury sustained on Saturday. Full prognosis is not known at this time.”
A ruptured Achilles can keep a player out of action for between six and nine months, casting doubt over whether McNaughton, 33, who joined Caley Jags from Wigan Athletic on a one-year contract in the summer, will play again this season.
The injury is a further blow for the former Aberdeen player who had played just five matches in 21 months prior to his move to Caledonian Stadium in July, with a hamstring tear during his 12-month stint with the Latics last season coming after a broken leg suffered in a previous spell with Bolton Wanderers.
McNaughton had started all seven matches since joining Inverness, with manager Richie Foran drafting him into central defence to cover for the injury absence of Josh Meekings.
The news of McNaughton’s injury blow could accelerate the return of Meekings, who is back in full training after missing the early part of the campaign with a knee injury but has yet to feature on the bench.
With full-back David Raven filling in alongside captain Gary Warren following McNaughton’s injury on Saturday, Foran’s only other natural central defensive option is 20-year-old Jason Brown, whose sole first-team appearance so far came as a substitute in the Highlanders’ 7-0 win against Arbroath in the Betfred Cup last month.
