McCarthy is coming to terms with the fact that his season is over after he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in last Saturday's League One win over Charlton.

The Irishman suffered the injury 20 minutes from time in an innocuous looking incident, but played on. After reporting soreness in his knee on Monday, a scan revealed the extent of the damage the next day.

Head coach Duff says the club will support McCarthy in every way they can and he can also provide perspective from his playing days.

Duff said: "I had a long chat with him on Tuesday and he will go through his own range of emotions now of 'why me, why's this and that.'

"He will hopefully have his operation next week and quickly get his head around the landscape for the next nine months.

"He's a good person and has good people around him. He will be fine.

"I remember I got told my career was finished at 29.

Barnsley FC head coach Michael Duff. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

"I went for a tackle and ruptured my ACL, LCL and my hamstring tendon.

"The surgeon said it was a career-ending injury and couldn't believe I'd done it playing football.

"Luckily, I was only out for a year and I squeezed another nine years out. There are a lot of similarities between me and Conor. I was a month into a three-year contract and he's a couple of months into one.

"The psychological aspect, I can definitely help him with as I have been through all the range of emotions he is going through.”

Conor McCarthy playing for St Mirren in May has seen the start of his Barnsley career cut short by a season-ending injury (Picture: Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images)

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Matty Wolfe (ankle ligaments) is out for six weeks, but Luca Connell is definitely available for the weekend.

Team-wise, Barnsley are in a good place and head into Saturday's game at Fleetwood in fifth place on the back of a five-match unbeaten league run.

Duff said: "It's tight at the minute. Wycombe recently went from sixth to 16th in leading and then losing a game. We are not genuinely looking at the table, it's keep collecting the points off good performances. That's all we're focused on.

"I am not one for reaching for the stars because you might get to the moon and it has got to be realistic and achievable."

Conor McCarthy has sympathetic ally in Barnsley FC boss Michael Duff