Falkirk boss John McGlynn to miss Stenhousemuir trip for replacement hip surgery

The operation, which takes place tomorrow (Friday), will see the Bairns boss not travel to Ochilview for the third round clash against Gary Naysmith’s League One side.

In his absence, Paul Smith - who has been McGlynn’s assistant manager throughout his time at Falkirk and at Raith Rovers previously - will be leading the team from the dugout.

“Going down to Stenhousemuir, it will be a different game from the last match,” assistant manager Smith said. “They’ve won their three home matches so far and they will certainly be fired up for the game.

"The crowd will get on you and it is a derby match. They’ll be a different threat, they’ve scored a lot of goals recently.

"On a personal note, John and myself obviously won the Challenge Cup (SPFL Trust Trophy) on a few occasions. You're looking to try and get as far as you can in the tournament. We got to the semi-final last year.”