Oran Kearney reveals Ballymena United talisman 'out for the season' in major injury blow

Kennedy was a high-profile arrival from Crusaders ahead of last season and scored 13 goals in 26 Premiership appearances during his maiden Sky Blues campaign.

This term, the 29-year-old had netted three times in the league alongside providing two assists in 11 outings, but hasn’t featured since October’s trip to Glentoran.

In a major blow to new Ballymena boss Kearney, ex-Stevenage star Kennedy is now set to be sidelined for the remainder of the season, which still includes a BetMcLean Cup semi-final showdown with Linfield next week.

Kearney is either awaiting the return or building up the match fitness of a number of players as he prepares for Tuesday’s Irish Cup fifth round visit of runaway Premiership leaders Larne – the winner will face a trip to Warrenpoint Town.

Following Saturday’s 2-0 league defeat to Dungannon Swifts, Kearney has won one of his six matches in charge, and while a number of rivals have settled squads, he doesn’t foresee a similar situation at Ballymena in the immediate future.

"Ben's out for the season, so he'll not be available until pre-season or part of pre-season,” he said. “I've seen him a few times with the physio, but I've never seen him on the training ground and he's never been on the pitch.

"We have probably five or six others at the minute that, again, have yet to set foot on the pitch. It's just been a bit chaotic from that perspective.

"I don't mean you look in envy, but I suppose utopia is when, to me, you get close to where Dungannon are at.

"I've been there before as a manager where it's maybe two in, two out in a window. But the main crux of it is when you look at Larne, there's eight or nine players on three or four-year deals.

"They have an absolute spine and you can change around the periphery of it – that's ideally where every club wants to get to.

"But to me, I'm probably three windows away, at least, from getting to that type of scenario.”