Ross County boss Don Cowie: Noah Chilvers’ ACL injury was ‘worst possible news’

Ross County manager Don Cowie admits attacking midfielder Noah Chilvers has received the worst possible news on his latest injury.

Last summer’s free transfer from Colchester was conspicuous by his absence in the Staggies line-up to face Aberdeen on Saturday, with it eventually being revealed that he had sustained an ACL injury.

After making 32 appearances across all competitions and establishing himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet this season, Chilvers’ loss for the foreseeable future will be a big blow to County as they look to avoid a third successive relegation play-off.

“I sat here earlier in the week and spoke about how healthy the squad was, but it was a reminder of how quickly things can change,” Cowie said after watching his side lose 1-0 to the Dons.

“Noah has been a real talisman for us and it was a nothing coming together in training on Thursday morning.

“He got a scan on Friday and that night we got the results, which was the worst possible news.

“He has a ruptured ACL so his recovery starts now in terms of making sure he’s right mentally for the path he’s going down over the next couple of months.”

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin played down the importance of his side’s win in Dingwall in their race to finish third in the Premiership.

The Dons boss acknowledged it was a tricky game, with only a moment of real quality from Shayden Morris separating the two teams at the final whistle.

Sitting one point behind third-placed Hibernian with six games to go, Thelin believes there is still time for many twists and turns before the end of the season.

“It was a difficult game with not so many chances, but we were stable,” Thelin said.

“Sometimes you need extra in a game and you can’t get better than Shayden’s goal.

“A clean sheet is so important in away games so I’m happy with that and the goal, and the spirit the supporters gave us.

“It was a totally different kind of game compared to Motherwell, but that’s what you need to show as a team if you want to be consistent and fighting for European spots.

“The only thing we can focus on is our own games and taking points, and then the other games will take care of themselves.

“There are still a lot of points to play for so we just have to focus on our own journey.”