Robert Richardson, the PHC Zebras defender, will miss the remainder of the year because of injury.

Richardson has torn cartilage in his right knee and is scheduled to undergo surgery next month.

He suffered the injury on October 4 in PHC’s Premier Division match against North Village Rams, which ended in a 2-2 draw at Bernard Park.

“Unfortunately I twisted my knee and kept trying to play on it,” Richardson said. “I ended up going for a checkup and that’s when it was discovered that I had torn my meniscus in my right knee.”

If all goes well, the Bermuda player hopes to make a full recovery before PHC’s return league match with defending champions Dandy Town at St John’s Field on January 11.

“It’s really a simple and brief surgery,” he said. “But they didn’t have any time to do it until December, which means I cannot resume playing until the new year.

“I will have the surgery here and then it’s three or four weeks of rehabilitation and then I’m back. I should return for the second game after the new year.”

Prior to being forced out through injury, Zebras had yet to taste defeat with Richardson in their ranks.

But they are presently on a two-game losing skid after succumbing to back-to-back league defeats against Flanagan’s Onions and Devonshire Cougars.

“This has been a setback for me, but I don’t think that our results of late have anything to do with me being out of the team,” Richardson said. “I think that other circumstances, such as the weather and matches being postponed because of antisocial behaviour, has kind of messed up our momentum.”

Despite dropping points in their previous two outings, PHC are off to one of their finest starts in recent memory, trailing Devonshire Cougars, the league leaders, by two points at the summit.

“This is probably our best start in a few years,” Richardson said. “I think we are making out OK, so we can’t complain.

“In this league you are going to lose games, everybody is going to drop points.

“If we can minimise our losses to under five for the season, I think we will be in contention.”

PHC last won the Premier Division in 2008 under coach Kyle Lightbourne, who now coaches Robin Hood.