FALKIRK have been dealt a hammer blow with the news that Peter Grant will miss the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury.
The 21-year-old suffered the damage in the 1-1 draw with Livingston last month but, after sitting out the subsequent midweek Scottish Cup tie with Dundee, played the full 90 minutes of the 1-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox on January 30.
However, with his knee then swelling up again, the Falkirk medical staff sent the youngster – the son of former Celtic favourite Peter Grant – for a hospital check-up.
After tests revealed ACL damage, the ex-Peterborough United player was scheduled to undergo surgery yesterday and Bairns manager Peter Houston has said the best they can hope for is that the centre-half returns to fitness in time for kick-off to next term.
Grant was unknown to Houston when he took over as Falkirk manager in 2014 but the dependable defender has become a fixture in the Bairns side in the last two seasons.
Houston added: “I know for a fact, with his attitude and application, that if there’s one person can work really hard it’s Peter. We’ve got to start thinking about getting him back for the start of next season. That’s the target now, but it could be longer. Peter’s a big blow for us because he’s been outstanding.”
In more bad news, back-up goalkeeper Graham Bowman, who had been farmed out on loan to Stenhousemuir, could be sidelined for the rest of the year after snapping his Achilles tendon.
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