Hibs frontman Kevin Nisbet could also be lacking till DECEMBER because the true extent of his brutal damage is revealed.
Scotland cap Nisbet sustained a horror ACL damage in opposition to Celtic two weeks in the past.
The preliminary prognosis was that he would miss the rest of the present season.
However he may now miss as much as half of the following marketing campaign too with Easter Street boss Shaun Maloney hopeful he may not less than make a possible World Cup squad in November and December, ought to Steve Clarke's males qualify in his absence.
Maloney stated: "Kevin acquired surgical procedure yesterday in London. It went very nicely.
"Sadly it was an ACL damage so Kevin can be out seven to 9 months. However he's nonetheless very motivated.
"If, and I feel we're all hoping Scotland qualify for the World Cup, then he can nonetheless make that squad.
"Talking to him, he's very motivated to come back again a greater participant and there's no cause, and I've stated this to him, that he cannot assume that he comes again and be the perfect striker within the league.
"There may be a whole lot of work to do. It's a lonely journey however we can be there each step of the best way for him.
"He was very upset within the final couple of weeks, however I observed that once I went to see him in London there was a slight change of disappointment to now getting motivated.
"It is vitally tedious the primary few months together with his damage, however all of the work he has to do will profit him in the long term and he must be very motivated to come back again as the perfect striker within the league and obtain one thing with the nationwide workforce, and there's completely no cause he cannot do this."