Kenyan forward suffers devastating knee injury weeks before contract expiry in Scotland
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 09.05.26. | 20:34
The 28-year-old had to be stretchered off early in the second half, with scans later confirming the devastating injury, this time affecting the opposite knee from the one he injured in 2023
Harambee Stars forward Jonah Ayunga and Scottish Premiership side St Mirren have been dealt a massive blow after the club confirmed the striker suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
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Ayunga, who has already battled two separate injuries this year, is now set for another lengthy spell on the sidelines after rupturing an ACL in his right knee during St Mirren’s 2-0 defeat to Livingston last weekend.
The 28-year-old had to be stretchered off early in the second half, with scans later confirming the devastating injury, this time affecting the opposite knee from the one he injured in 2023.
The setback comes at the worst possible moment for the Kenya international, whose current contract with the Scottish Premiership side expires in just over a month, leaving uncertainty over his immediate future.
St Mirren confirmed Ayunga will undergo surgery in the coming weeks and assured the striker of their support throughout his recovery process, although no timeline has been provided for his return.
“The 28-year-old will undergo surgery in the coming weeks, and he will have our full support. Everyone at St Mirren wishes Jonah the very best in his recovery,” the club said in a statement.
Ayunga has scored 18 goals in 108 appearances for St Mirren since joining the club from Morecambe in 2022.
The striker enjoyed one of the finest moments of his career last December when he scored a brace in St Mirren’s 3-1 League Cup final victory over Celtic, cementing his place among the club’s fan favourites.
This is not the first major knee injury Ayunga has suffered. In January 2023, he ruptured the ACL in his other knee during a match against Motherwell and spent most of that year recovering before returning to action in November.
He had also missed two months earlier this season due to a tendon injury.
Ayunga’s absence is another major setback for St Mirren as they continue their fight to avoid the relegation play-off spot.
The defeat to Livingston left Craig McLeish’s side just two points above 11th-placed Kilmarnock with four matches remaining in the campaign.