Young Irish central defender Gerard Nash is facing more time on the sidelines. The 18-year-old, who has already had two cruciate knee ligament operations in his short career, will have cartilage surgery on Friday.

Physio Dave Williams told the club site: "Gerard will be having keyhole surgery on his knee to tidy up the cartilage.

"It means he will be out for six weeks and won't return to full training until February.

"The problem has been bothering him a little but we were hoping to get around it without the operation, but it has to be the way forward for Gerard now.

"The injury is not connected in any way to the knee ligament problems he's had in the past."

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