Hamilton Accies star 'ruled out for rest of the season' as new signing incoming to fill void

Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin has revealed skipper Scott Martin is set to miss the rest of the season through injury.

But he says he has moved quickly to fill the huge gap the midfielder will leave in the heart of their title-chasing squad in League One, with a new recruit set to be announced shortly.

Martin hobbled off in the first-half of a 3-1 defeat to title rivals Falkirk last month and will now require surgery on his hamstring.

It is a huge blow for Accies as they head into 2024 five points adrift of the Bairns at the top of the table, having played a game more.

With the transfer window now open for the month, Accies have secured a replacement and the club are set to reveal their latest signing in the coming days.

Rankin told Lanarkshire Live Sport : "Scotty is going to need an operation and he is out for the rest of the season, potentially.

"How long the rehab takes, will be determined by him and how quickly he progresses.

"The club have got it sorted quickly and credit to the medical department for getting things done over the holiday period.

"But it is big loss to us and boots to fill. He is the captain and he had a very good start to the season, so that is a sore one.

"We need Scotty's personality to demand and drag this team forward off the pitch.

"We've seen what he is like on it and we need him to be that character off it to make sure standards remain high in the dressing room and influence the players from outside."

Accies have been linked to former Rangers midfielder Ben Williamson and ex-Motherwell winger Jermaine Hylton.

And on the club's work to bring in new players this week, Rankin added: "We have lost Scotty to injury so it will be a midfielder we bring in first.

"Hopefully over the course of