Rodney McAree provides update after Dungannon Swifts star was stretchered off during Premiership defeat to Glentoran

The 20-year-old Larne loanee has been in sensational form this season, scoring 17 goals in all competitions – including nine in the league – and it was his direct run that earned the hosts a penalty on the stroke of half-time when he was brought down by Johnny Russell.

He was unable to get up from the challenge after an awkward landing and was assisted off the pitch before Ben Gallagher scored from the spot.

Glentoran found a 60th minute equaliser through Marcus Kane’s flicked header and when Swifts defender Caolan Marron was shown a straight red card for a late tackle on the returning Bobby Burns, Warren Feeney’s men capitalised with Junior poking home from close range late on.

Lusty’s absence for the immediate future is undoubtedly a blow for the County Tyrone outfit, but McAree’s immediate thoughts were with the player himself.

"We think Matty has damaged his shoulder – we think he could have broken it,” he said. “We will do what we have to do as a club and make sure he gets the best possible care and get him sorted.

"He has been fantastic. His run for the penalty and his touch was brilliant. It’s disappointing for us as a club but more so for Matty and our thoughts are with him. We want to make sure he’s alright.

"We’ll still be a club come Boxing Day and still have a match to take part in and Matty is the one who suffers, so we’re thinking of him at this stage.”

McAree had no complaints about the red card shown to Marron by referee Declan Hassan and feels if his playing group can correct a bit of “naivety” that they’ll be more than capable of climbing the table.

"There is a little bit of naivety with us as a group of players with the goals we concede and if we can get over that and turn it into a bit of determination and know-how, I think we could be in a hell of a lot better position,” he added. “If the points were handed out after 45 minutes I think we’d be sitting on something like 39, which is madness.

"We spoke in the changing room at half-time about not crumbling to the noise because the bigger clubs, especially Glentoran and Linfield, when they get a bit on top the noise and volume goes up.

"It’s about being brave at that stage and not getting deeper or inviting pressure on, but the sending off has probably contributed massively to it and that’s hugely frustrating because if he picks the flight of the ball up and defends, he doesn’t even have to make the tackle.

"But, because he delays his recovery, he ends up lunging for something he has very little chance of winning.”