“After running the other day his foot was very sore the following morning,” said Meade.

“It appeared that something has gone into his tendon at the back of his pastern and he is in Troytown Hospital at the moment.

“He has had a general anaesthetic and has been operated on to remove whatever it is, which I suspect to probably be a bit of birch.

“I don’t know what his prospects are for the rest of the season but it has to be dodgy.”