Socceroos striker Martin Boyle in injury blow for Hibernian
Martin Boyle went down with a hamstring injury. (Getty Images: SNS Group/Roddy Scott)
In short:
Striker Martin Boyle was forced from the field with a hamstring injury in his side's Premiership clash at Easter Road.
Boyle missed the 2019 Asian Cup because of a knee injury and the 2022 World Cup because of a torn ACL.
What's next?
The Socceroos' World Cup campaign begins on June 14 in Vancouver.
Socceroos star Martin Boyle has suffered an untimely injury at club level, seemingly tweaking his hamstring in Hibernian's 2-0 home win over Aberdeen.
Boyle pulled up suddenly and fell to the ground while trying to make a run into the box in the 33rd minute of the Scottish Premiership match, which was settled by second-half goals from Thibault Klidje and substitute Junior Hoilett.
The 32-year-old required treatment then trudged off the pitch in Edinburgh and was substituted.
Boyle has been a prolific force for Hibs this season, scoring five goals and recently serving as stand-in skipper.
Hibernian coach David Gray was unsure about the extent of the damage but made it clear he would be taking a conservative approach with the Australian.
Martin Boyle (right) was full of beans at Easter Road before his injury. (Getty Images: SNS Group/Roddy Scott)
"It's never a good sign, especially somebody as quick as him, when you see him running like that and he pulls up straight away," Gray said.
"So he's clearly felt something.
"When you speak to him now he's actually quite positive about it. He says it doesn't feel too bad but it's far too early to say.
"We'll obviously scan that as quickly as we can and make sure we find out.
"But it's always a concern when somebody pulls up like that, so we certainly won't be taking a risk. We'll make sure we look after that properly."
Gray lamented the setback, highlighting how Boyle was "playing really well in the first half".
The Socceroos' World Cup campaign begins on June 14 in Vancouver, so Boyle has plenty of time to recover from even a major setback.
But the versatile veteran, capable of playing as a winger or striker, is no stranger to injury heartbreak when it comes to major tournaments.
Boyle missed the 2019 Asian Cup because of a knee injury and sat out the 2022 World Cup because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament that was only detected on the eve of the tournament in Qatar.
Meanwhile, two Australians yet to feature for the national side helped Motherwell upset Celtic 2-0.
Defender John Koutroumbis and midfielder Oscar Priestman, who joined Motherwell after stints at Perth Glory and Western Sydney respectively, both played as Celtic missed a golden chance to draw level with Hearts atop the standings.
Zac Sapsford, another uncapped Australian and Wanderers product, scored for Dundee United in their 3-1 win over Livingston.
AAP