St Johnstone defender Steven Anderson could be ruled out for up to eight weeks after suffering a hand injury in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Patrick Thistle.
Anderson was withdrawn after suffering a dislocated thumb in the early stages of the match and medical staff were unable to reset it at Perth Royal Infirmary.
The 27-year-old has been sidelined for between six to eight weeks after a lengthy operation, but manager Tommy Wright is hopeful that Anderson will return ahead of schedule.
"It's a blow for Steven and for us," Wright told the club's official website.
"We'll get specialist help to see what can be done to get him back a bit quicker than the current estimates and Ando has a reputation as a quick healer which helps.
"It might leave us a bit short on numbers at the back but certainly not in terms of quality as I have Gary Miller and Dave Mackay who can both move into that role."