More heartbreak for former Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Ipswich Town man as he exits Championship squad

The three-time Wednesday loanee, whose has played only 25 minutes of senior football since he stepped out for the Owls 415 days ago, has been replaced in the squad of his new club Preston North End after undergoing hamstring surgery.

It is the latest blow to a career that started with regular England youth caps while at Ipswich Town and saw him become a £9m player when he moved to Sunderland in 2011.

A decade on, however, he can’t seem to catch a break and joins Izzy Brown as a former Wednesday loanee set for a long spell in the Deepdale treatment room.

He joined Preston in the summer having become a free agent after leaving Crystal Palace.

Preston boss Frankie McAvoy confirmed the news this week and said: “It’s a serious hamstring injury for Connor, he is going to be out of the game for the foreseeable future so we are grateful that the EFL have granted us permission to add another one to the 25-man squad and I’m delighted that it’s Joe Rafferty.

“I wish Connor as quick a recovery as possible and hope that he comes through it with flying colours.

“He has undergone surgery and we have a great team here to help him, Jacko [physio Matt Jackson] and his team are excellent, and we just wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he can get back in to the fold as quick as he can.”