MELROSE are expected to be without key kicker Joe Helps for the first eight weeks of the new season after he was injured in his side’s Border League victory over Selkirk at the weekend.

His impressive points total last season helped the Greenyards side on their way to being crowned Scottish champions for the third time in four years.

And Head Coach John Dalziel admitted he will be missed.

However, with a new winger arriving from Australia this week to join the club’s six other summer signings, he is confident he has a squad capable of retaining the title.

Speaking to the Border Telegraph ahead of his side’s Charity Shield match against Heriot’s on Saturday, Dalziel said: “Joe’s got a bad injury to his wrist and it looks like it will be six to eight weeks (out) anyway.

“He is a massive player for us with his kicking and his general play, his whole attitude around the club, he is a key man.

“But we’ll have to deal with that. We’ve got players around him that can step in to do it. There’s not many who can kick it from 51 metres right enough but we’ve got other goal kickers as well. We just have to get on with it, we can’t dwell on it.

“From where we finished last year, we want to be competing for the league. We want to win every game that we play in, the league is a massive focus for us and we don’t want to give it up lightly.” FOR MORE ON THIS STORY, PICK UP A COPY OF THIS WEEK'S BORDER TELEGRAPH.