Kelty Hearts have suffered a major injury blow with Craig Johnston set to be sidelined for the upcoming season.
The 31-year-old has been out of action since mid-January, when he was forced off during a Scottish Cup win over Cove Rangers, with a cruciate knee ligament injury.
That kept the forward out for the remainder of the campaign, a problem that also saw defender, Callum Flatman, not kick a ball last term.
Johnston, who last summer was appointed captain of his hometown club, has scored 21 goals in 109 games since joining from Montrose three years ago.
However, he's set for a lengthy wait to add to those tallies according to boss, Tam O'Ware, who did, however, give a positive update on another of his attacking players, Robbie Cole.
The 23-year-old penned a new one-year contract with Kelty in the summer on the back of a season decimated by injury, which saw him make only seven appearances.
Although not in the squad, he was put through his paces ahead of the Premier Sports Cup tie with Brora Rangers, as he returns to fitness.
O'Ware told Times Sport: "CJ will be out for the season.
"His operation's not until September, which means he won't return until May / June. We've had to build without planning for CJ, unfortunately.
"Robbie missed a lot of last season. He's been working extremely hard through the summer.
"Again, it was probably a gamble giving him another extension, but I know the qualities he possesses, and it's my job to just get him back on his feet, and not rush him, which we've not done.
"We've taken our time with him, he's putting in the work.
"The plan is probably for his first start, all things going well, to be in the KDM Evolution Trophy."
Over the course of the summer so far, seven new players have arrived at the club, and O'Ware has said more are likely to come in.
Whilst there may be one further permanent addition, he indicated that a further three or four could join on loan.
"We always try and sign a core of a team, but we need depth," O'Ware continued.
"We need competition in places, we need competition in wide areas just now, and that's what hopefully we'll bring in.
"We need a youthfulness about the team as well.
"If you look at it defensively, albeit the average age is probably young, there is good experience there.
"Callum Flatman coming back, which I'm delighted with, Dylan Corr, Jack Brydon, Callum Hannah - they are still young. They're still under 23, but, they do have experience on their side.
"What we've then left is forward areas for that youthfulness, that energy, those legs, to go and cause problems that, hopefully, we'll be able to bring in."
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