St Mirren skipper Steven Thompson admits he has been left “mortified” after spearing John McGinn during a training-ground prank.
Scotland Under-21 midfielder McGinn was left with blood pouring from a wound in his thigh after Buddies club captain Thompson lobbed a spiked pole at his team-mate.
The bizarre incident took place last Thursday after McGinn robbed Thompson of possession during a dribbling routine.
The Saints striker insists he did not mean to strike his friend and has offered profuse apologies.
McGinn’s injury saw him miss the Paisley side’s 4-1 win over Kilmarnock on Saturday and he could be ruled out for another three weeks of action.
Thompson told the Scottish Sun: “I’ve been shocked by it, to be honest, really down about it. I like a laugh and a joke in training, but for something like this to happen is just unbelievable.
“The pole went about a centimetre into his leg and he’s obviously got quite a bad injury. The word seems to be he’ll be out for around three weeks.
“I think he’s torn his muscle slightly and, while he needs to make sure it heals properly, there isn’t going to be any long-term damage.
“I’m just mortified by the whole thing. It was a daft prank. It wasn’t like I threw the pole out of anger or anything like that. That’s not what happened.
“I threw it for a laugh, stupid me trying to be funny, and unfortunately it’s anything but. It’s a total disaster.”