Dundalk FC boss Stephen Kenny confirms midfielder to undergo surgery and will miss remainder of the season

Dundalk FC manager Stephen Kenny has confirmed that the season is over for midfielder Karolis Chvedukas. The Lithuanian international has been troubled by injury for much of the campaign and will go for surgery in a bid to rid himself of an ankle problem.

Chvedukas hasn’t featured since the August 10 FAI Cup win over Cobh Ramblers.

“The decision has been made that he’s going to be operated on and we’re just waiting on a date for that,” Kenny told The Democrat.

With no fixture this week due to Derry City’s involvement in Sunday’s EA Sports Cup final, the Lilywhites have a longer period to prepare for Friday week’s crunch encounter with championship rivals Cork City at Turner’s Cross.

Nonetheless, it will be business as usual at Oriel Park with Kenny using the extra window to ready his troops for the final six league games of the campaign. An ‘in-house’ fixture is planned as opposed to a training camp or friendly match elsewhere.

Though cushioned by a considerable goal difference, Dundalk’s lead at the division’s summit could be down to three points by the weekend, as Cork take on Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Friday.

It’s a match Kenny is expected to take in, though he denies that seeing Cork in the flesh is either an “advantage or a disadvantage”.

He added: “This has been a major period in the club’s history and even for Dundalk as a town, competing against all the big cities in the country, Dublin, Cork, Derry, Galway, Limerick, and yet what we’re trying to do is to win our fourth title in five years.

“That ensures that Dundalk is to the forefront of sport in Ireland, that’s huge and is a motivation for the players.

“The players are really emerging and playing well going into the (upcoming) spell.”