Alan Archibald has revealed that Partick Thistle utility man Christie Elliot could be out until the new year after picking up a spinal injury in pre-season.

The extent of the injury comes as a huge blow to Archibald, with Elliot being a key member of his squad due to his ability to play in as many as five positions.

The Partick gaffer said: "Christie Elliot is going to be out between 12 and 20 weeks as he has a stress fracture on his sacrum bone.

"It is a bit of a problem for the team and it is a sore one for us.

"Christie did the whole of pre-season and then had a bit of soreness after the Rotherham game. He went for a scan and the results have shown up this stress fracture which is a massive blow for us.

"Christie is a versatile player and he can cover four or five positions for us so we will now need to go and try and get some business done to replace him."

On a brighter note, new signing Mathias Pogba has only suffered a minor injury after being forced to leave the field of play after just 18 minutes against Inverness on Wednesday night.

Archibald admitted that the striker has every chance of featuring against Kilmarnock at Firhill on Saturday, a major boost for the shot-shy Jags forward-line as they attempt to get on the scoresheet for the first time this season.

He said: "Mathias Pogba has a slight hamstring strain and has a chance of making it for the Kilmarnock game.

"He didn't pull it or anything sprinting and we took him off in good time.

"It was a small movement towards the ball and he felt some movement.

"We are delighted that it is just a strain and he won't miss much action.

"We will monitor him as be careful as physios are always wary with hamstring injuries."

With the long-term injury to Elliot and with young defender Jack Hendry reportedly attracting interest from English Premiership side Everton, Archibald admitted that his need to add to his squad before the transfer window closes at the end of the month has intensified.

To that end, he has been taking a look at Montenegro under-19 defender Ronaldo Rudovic with a view to adding him to the Firhill squad.

"Ronaldo flew in from New York last week and played a reserve game that night which was probably unfair on him but he did well,” Archibald said.

"He will get another game in the under 20s on Monday night and we will have another look at him and then make a decision.

"He is only 19 and we have one eye on the development squad too as Jack Hendry and Liam Lindsay have recently taken the step up to the first team and that’s left us a little light at that level.

"We want somebody who is capable of doing what those two players have done."