BREAKING: Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley devastated after learning he will be without ex-Preston man for the 'long-term'

The Blues were last week pencilling in the right-back to return against Oxford United or Shrewsbury, after six weeks sidelined with a groin problem.

However, he subsequently aggravated the issue while kicking a ball in training – and now requires a second operation this season.

Rafferty, who will undergo the procedure on Monday, is expected to be absent for another three months.

And potentially that means the Blues are unable to call upon his services until February or March.

Cowley told The News: ‘We’ve had some disappointing news about Joe Rafferty, who has been confirmed will need an operation.

‘He will have that on Monday and it’s really disappointing news. He’s had one operation and now needs another.

‘We’ve had a scan, now the surgeon wants to go in and have a look. They’ll go in and take a much closer look in the operating theatre, then we will have more clarity.

‘We are probably looking at three months. It’s the same groin, a slightly different joint, but it’s the same area, which is frustrating.

‘It’s disappointment and frustration in equal measure, particularly for a boy who’s had very little injury background to this point, but they are the cards dealt to us, which we’ll have to accept.

‘We will be supporting Joe on his rehabilitation and recovery. Now we have him, Jayden Reid and Louis Thompson out long-term, who have had or are going to have operations.’

Thompson remains on schedule to return to playing in January, after sustaining a broken leg against Bristol Rovers in August.

Meanwhile, Reid is waiting for the swelling on his knee to go down before undergoing an operation on his second cruciate ligament injury since July 2021.