CONNOR RONAN IS facing a long spell out of action after suffering an injury to his foot while on loan at Grasshoppers.

With the Zurich outfit on the brink of promotion, a broken metatarsal has forced Ronan to return to parent club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

In a statement, Grasshoppers thanked the 23-year-old playmaker for his contribution, adding that he’s likely to be sidelined for approximately four-to-five months.

Following his August move, Ronan made 32 appearances for Grasshoppers, who’ll seal their top-flight return as Swiss Challenge League champions by beating SC Kriens on Thursday.

Although Grasshoppers remain Switzerland’s most successful club, they have endured a notable decline in recent years. After being relegated from the Super League in 2019, they narrowly missed out on promotion last season by finishing third.

Ronan hasn’t tasted first-team action at Wolves since a League Cup tie against Manchester City in October 2017, but the Premier League club expressed their faith in him last September by extending his contract until 2024.

The former Portsmouth and Blackpool loanee won 14 Republic of Ireland caps at U21 level, nine of which came during Stephen Kenny’s reign as manager.