KILMARNOCK goalkeeper Zach Hemming will miss the start of the season through injury, Derek McInnes has confirmed.
The on-loan Middlesbrough stopper will be out of action for at least the “initial part of the campaign”.
Hemming sustained a groin injury during pre-season. He’s played in all three of Killie’s Premier Sports Cup group games so far, although did come off at half-time versus Montrose.
It’s understood the 22-year-old has undergone a scan so that the club can gain a second opinion on the extent of the suspected tear.
At this stage it remains unclear how serious the injury is.
The young keeper quickly established himself as No.1 last term under Tommy Wright and played a key role in the club's promotion from the Championship with a series of top performances.
He was re-signed on further loan deal this summer by McInnes ahead of Killie's return to the top flight.
McInnes admits losing Hemming is a massive blow for his side.
However, the ex-Aberdeen boss has every faith in Sam Walker to deputise in his absence.
He said: "Zach's had an issue since the Charlton game when he had to come off with a groin issue.
"We got him back to a level that allowed him to play against Fraserburgh and Partick, then on Saturday a combination of still having the weakness and those minutes aggravated it.
"We felt he was fine to play, so did he, we didn't have any concerns but there's obviously something underlying there which made it worse.
"He is certainly going to miss the initial part of the league campaign, which is a real blow for us - he's a top goalkeeper.
"But the flipside of that is we've got a very good keeper in Sam Walker who's had to be very patient, his opportunities have been restricted because of Zach's performances.
"Sam will now get the chance to demonstrate the reason we brought him here.”
