Dundee United captain Ross Graham ruled out for months after surgery
The newly-appointed club captain has been forced to undergo surgery and isn't expected to return until late October.
Speaking ahead of the first leg of the Conference League qualifier against Una Strassen, manager Jim Goodwin admitted it was a 'big loss' for the team.
'Unfortunately, Ross has had a recurrence of a hamstring injury over the last ten months,' the manager said. 'It affected him greatly in the second half of the season.
'A couple of weeks ago we got a repeat of that injury. He's seen some specialists and we've had surgery to the hamstring. Hopefully over the next two to three months he'll make a complete recovery and will be available to play for us somewhere around the end of October.
'It's a big loss for us as a group, particularly for myself after making him club captain.'
Graham has made over 120 appearances for United since breaking into the first team and the 24-year-old defender played a key role in an impressive return to the Premiership for United last season. Goodwin said he was ready for the responsibility and that he would continue to exert an influence through his recovery from Sunday.
'It was an easy choice in the end,' he said. 'We've got lots of good leaders in the group but Ross really understands this club.
'He came through the academy system, he's a local lad. He knows what the club means to the supporters and he's able to relay that to the players.
'As much as he's not going to be out there with us on the pitch for a considerable period of time, his presence will still be felt within the dressing room.
'He'll continue to encourage the players and drive them on to success.'
Will Ferry will wear the armband in Graham's absence and Goodwin says it will be another step up for a player who can develop further.
'It's going to be a very proud moment for Will and his family, leading the team out for a European tie at Tannadice,' he said.
'We're expecting a really good crowd and we're pleasantly surprised at the amount of tickets that have been snapped up by our own supporters.
'From Will's perspective it's a great moment for a young player in his career.
'When you consider where we took Will from, in the lower leagues of England at Cheltenham Town, last season he was arguable one of our most outstanding players.
'We're hoping he can build on that and do even better and hopefully that starts tomorrow in our first competitive game.'
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
30 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Man Utd hijack Brentford bid for wonderkid just days after snaring £71m Bryan Mbeumo from Premier League rivals
A host of top clubs have joined the race for the teenager HE'S THE GUEYE Man Utd hijack Brentford bid for wonderkid just days after snaring £71m Bryan Mbeumo from Premier League rivals Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BRENTFORD face a transfer battle with Manchester United over whizkid Idrissa Gueye. The Bees are reeling from losing forward Bryan Mbeumo to the Red Devils in a £71million deal. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Idrissa Gueye celebrates scoring his first goal for Metz just days after arriving Credit: Alamy 2 Gueye could act as the perfect replacement for wantaway Yoane Wissa Credit: AFP Yoane Wissa is also set to leave this summer — but new boss Keith Andrews feels he can put one over United chief Ruben Amorim by landing Senegalese kid Gueye. Andrews wants to snap up the Metz forward, 18, but thought Brentford had only Southampton to beat for his signature. Yet United and Burnley have since joined the hunt, along with German side Borussia Dortmund. And the fierce competition has forced Bees chief to now look at matching his French club's £15m asking price. Brentford can offer Gueye a chance at early Premier League football, while United only see him as a long-term project. The Clarets are late to the chase but remain realistic candidates as they too could offer a quicker route to first-team football. The teenager only joined Ligue 2 Metz from Senegalese club Génération Foot in January, making his debut in a goalless draw with Lorient. He scored his first goal in a 3-1 win over Paris FC just days after arriving, but saw his special occasion end in A&E. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Gueye collided with an opponent and was rushed to hospital with damage to his teeth. Gueye was also part of the Senegal squad that handed Thomas Tuchel his first defeat as England boss. Man Utd hunting Jackson as Chelsea's demands revealed | Transfers Exposed After an early Harry Kane opener, the African side turned the game around to secure a historic 3-1 win at the City Ground, though Gueye was an unused substitute.
Scotsman
35 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Premier Sports Cup: Seven more clubs reach last 16 with final two spots still to be decided
Premiership trio joined in second round by third tier outfit Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Premiership trio Kilmarnock, Livingston and Falkirk all made it through to the second round of the Premier Sports Cup with comfortable home victories on Saturday. Motherwell and Hearts had already booked their places in Sunday's draw along with European qualifiers Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibs and Dundee United, meaning there were nine spaces still up for grabs going into the final weekend of group stage fixtures. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Killie, Livi and the Bairns were joined in reaching the last 16 by Championship outfits Partick Thistle St Johnstone and Morton, with third tier Alloa Athletic the lowest ranked side to make it through. Partick Thistle's Logan Chalmers (centre) celebrates after scoring to make it 2-0 during a Premier Sports Cup group stage win over Ross County at the Global Energy Stadium. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group) | SNS Group Dundee – eliminated after losing their opening two fixtures – are the only top-flight side out of the tournament so far, with St Mirren aiming to progress on Sunday. Dunfermline still have a chance of qualifying as a best placed runner-up but will rely on Saints failing to beat Ayr, who are all but through as long as they do not lose heavily in Paisley. Falkirk sealed top spot in Group A by defeating Spartans 4-0 at home through goals from Dylan Tait, Scott Arfield and a Calvin Miller brace to leave manager John McGlynn in a positive frame of mind ahead of the start of the club's first Premiership season since 2009-10. "The entertainment value is going to be through the roof here," McGlynn predicted. "That's why we've got 5700 season ticket holders - they like what they see. We're now maybe the underdog in most games. I don't think we'll come up against oppositon in the Premiership that will sit so defensively as Spartans." Cove Rangers finished second but were not in the mix to be one of the three best runners-up after losing 2-1 at Queen's Park. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Teenage defender Ben Brannan scored a double and then went off injured as Kilmarnock pipped top-flight rivals Livingston to top spot in Group H with a 4-0 home victory over East Fife. Summer signings Marcus Dackers and Djenairo Daniels were also on target for Stuart Kettlewell's side, who made it through their four group matches without conceding a goal. Kilmarnock's Ben Brannan celebrates after scoring to make it 4-0 over East Fife in the Premier Sports Cup. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group "I thought the players showed up well by and large," Kettlewell said. "My one frustration is there was a little bit of slackness in the last 15 minutes of the game. I know we end up down to 10 men through injury, but it's trying to sustain the levels we've found throughout the game. But it's a work in progress and we'll continue to try and make that better." Livi struck four times in the first half as a 6-0 home win over Kelty Hearts helped them finish as one of the three best runners-up. Robbie Muirhead notched a double, while Andrew Winter, debutant Adam Montgomery, Shane Blaney and Stevie May were also on target. Partick maintained their perfect record to win Group B with a 3-1 victory at Ross County, while Stranraer beat 10-man Queen of the South 1-0 in the other match in the section. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There was drama in Group C as Alloa came from behind to defeat Airdrie 3-2 and secure qualification at the expense of the Diamonds. A 2-2 draw would have been enough to take both teams through, but Steven Buchanan's 89th minute winner meant only the Wasps progressed. In the other match, Dundee saved some face after their humiliating start by making it back-to-back wins with a 5-0 triumph at home to Montrose. Simon Murray hit a first-half double before second-half strikes from Clark Robertson, Ryan Astley and Luke Graham. Dundee's Simon Murray (R) celebrates with Drey Wright after scoring to make it 1-0 over Montrose at Dens Park. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group) | SNS Group St Johnstone sealed top spot in Group F with an 8-0 home win over 10-man Elgin, while Raith Rovers beat Inverness 5-1 with Dylan Easton bagging a hat-trick. With Hearts already having finished top of Group E, Dunfermline gave themselves a chance of finishing as one of the three best runners-up as they won 2-0 at home to Stirling. The Pars will go through if St Mirren lose to Ayr or draw and fail to pick up a bonus point. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Morton followed Group G winners Motherwell through as one of the best runners-up after winning 3-0 at home to Clyde, while Stenhousemuir beat Peterhead 1-0. In Group D, where Arbroath went down 1-0 to Forfar, Ayr will be looking to hold on to top spot away to St Mirren on Sunday. The Honest Men have such a good goal difference that they will go through as long as they do not lose heavily.
The National
2 hours ago
- The National
No slips from Kilmarnock, Livingston and Falkirk in Premier Sports Cup
Motherwell and Hearts had already booked their places in Sunday's draw along with European qualifiers Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibernian and Dundee United, meaning there were nine spaces still up for grabs going into the final weekend. Killie, Livi and the Bairns were joined in reaching the last 16 by lower-league sides Partick Thistle, Alloa, St Johnstone and Morton. [[Dundee]] – eliminated after losing their opening two fixtures – are the only top-flight side out of the tournament so far, with St Mirren aiming to make it through on Sunday. Dunfermline have a chance of joining them if Saints fail to beat Ayr, who are all but through as long as they do not lose heavily in Paisley. Read more: Falkirk sealed top spot in Group A by defeating Spartans 4-0 at home through goals from Dylan Tait, Scott Arfield and a Calvin Miller brace. Cove Rangers finished second but were not in the mix to be one of the three best runners-up after losing 2-1 at Queen's Park. Teenage defender Ben Brannan scored a double as Kilmarnock pipped top-flight rivals Livingston to top spot in Group H with a 4-0 home victory over East Fife. Summer signings Marcus Dackers and Djenairo Daniels were also on target for Stuart Kettlewell's side. Livi struck four times in the first half as a 6-0 home win over Kelty Hearts helped them finish as one of the three best runners-up. Robbie Muirhead notched a double, while Andrew Winter, debutant Adam Montgomery, Shane Blaney and Stevie May were also on target. Partick maintained their perfect record to win Group B with a 3-1 victory at Ross County, while Stranraer beat 10-man Queen of the South 1-0 in the other match in the section. There was drama in Group C as [[Alloa]] came from behind to defeat Airdrie 3-2 and secure qualification at the expense of the Diamonds. A 2-2 draw would have been enough to take both teams through, but Steven Buchanan's 89th minute winner meant only the Wasps progressed. In the other match, Dundee saved some face after their humiliating start by making it back-to-back wins with a 5-0 triumph at home to Montrose. Simon Murray hit a first-half double before second-half strikes from Clark Robertson, Ryan Astley and Luke Graham. St [[Johnstone]] sealed top spot in Group with an 8-0 home win over 10-man Elgin, while Raith Rovers beat Inverness 5-1. With Hearts already having finished top of Group E, [[Dunfermline]] gave themselves a chance of finishing as one of the three best runners-up as they won 2-0 at home to Stirling. The Pars will go through if St Mirren lose to [[Ayr]] or draw and fail to pick up a bonus point. Hearts have put themselves in a commanding position to claim a seeded place, finishing on 12 points with a positive goal difference of 15. Dunfermline can move on to nine points and will be looking to add to their goal difference of two when they host Stirling, to push for a best runners-up place. Morton followed Group G winners Motherwell through as one of the best runners-up after winning 3-0 at home to Clyde, while Stenhousemuir beat Peterhead 1-0. In Group D, where Arbroath went down 1-0 to Forfar, Ayr will be looking to hold on to top spot away to St Mirren on Sunday. The Honest Men have such a good goal difference that they will go through as long as they do not lose heavily.
