Martin Boyle: Hibernian winger returns home from Australia duty with knee injury
- Published
Boyle has scored four goals in 21 games for Hibs this season
Hibernian winger Martin Boyle will be sidelined for "an indefinite period" after sustaining a knee injury while on international duty with Australia.
Boyle, 25, suffered a "contact injury" to his knee in the Socceroos' 5-0 friendly win over Oman on Sunday.
He will miss the rest of the tournament and return home to continue his rehabilitation with Hibs.
Boyle, whose father was born in Sydney, won his first caps in November and scored twice on his first start.
Along with Hibs team-mates Mark Milligan and Jamie Maclaren, he missed the Leith outfit's final Scottish Premiership game before the winter break against Hearts to join the Australia squad for the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates.
Socceroos head coach Graham Arnold said: "Martin was desperate to stay with us but we've decided that the best thing for his long-term career for both his club and country is for him to return to Scotland where he can receive great care at Hibernian.
"Martin has made a great impact in his time with us and it is unfortunate timing, but his Socceroos journey is not over and we look forward to him pressing for selection for matches later in 2019 and as we go through the process of qualification for the next Fifa World Cup."
A "gutted" Boyle said the Socceroos "have become a big part of my life in a short period of time".
"My focus now will be on my recovery and returning to the pitch as soon as possible with Hibs," he added. "Throughout the tournament the team will have my full support from Scotland."
Boyle joins a Hibs injury list that already includes goalkeepers Ofir Marciano and Ross Laidlaw, defenders Lewis Stevenson and Ryan Porteous and winger Thomas Agyepong.
American midfielder Emerson Hyndman has also returned to Bournemouth at the end of his six-month loan spell.
Hibs' next game is against League Two side Elgin City in the Scottish Cup on 19 January.