UCD striker Colm Whelan puts summer move on hold after suffering cruciate ligament injury

The Ireland U-21 international will also be absent from the exciting June conclusion to regular European Championships qualifying.

He sustained the setback in Friday's 1-0 win away to Finn Harps, with scans revealing that the highly rated 21-year-old had sustained the nightmare injury.

It's anticipated he will spend six to nine months on the sidelines.

Whelan has signed up with Polaris Sports, an agency which sits under the umbrella of the powerful Jorge Mendes, and he was expected to follow the same path of clients such as Georgie Kelly, Johnny Kenny and Killian Phillips who left for the UK in the last 12 months.

Lincoln are very keen on Whelan and there were other English sides in the mix with UCD resigned to his summer exit.

This injury is a bad news scenario for all parties, with UCD hoping to get as many points on the board as possible while they have the services of their main goal threat.