Livingston manager David Martindale claims Lyndon Dykes has pneumonia and wishes striker well

Livingston boss David Martindale revealed he has been in touch with Scotland striker Lyndon Dykes and hopes his former player makes a quick recovery from serious illness.

Dykes’ club QPR tweeted a message of support for Dykes on Sunday, saying they were “closely monitoring” the player after his admission to hospital and urging him to “stay strong”.

The Scottish FA put a simliar message on social media but neither disclosed the nature of Dykes’ condition.

Martindale, speaking after his side’s Premiership draw with Hearts on Sunday, said that the former Livingston forward was suffering from pneumonia but had sent him a message the previous day.

The manager said: “The big man texted me yesterday actually and he sent me a picture, he had been watching Soccer AM in his hospital bed.

“Hopefully the big man makes a recovery very, very soon.

“Lyndon had Covid before Covid was a thing in Scotland. We were going to Ibrox, he trained on the Friday and he phoned me on the Saturday morning to say he had been up all night and had been to the hospital for an X-ray, saying he couldn’t breathe.

“For me, Lyndon struggled to get over that Covid. I thought at one point he had long Covid and now he has pneumonia.

“So he has not had the best of times of it over the past couple of years in terms of his lungs and cardiovascular side of it but everybody at Livingston just wants him back playing football as quick as possible. Hopefully the big man can make a quick recovery.”

Dykes worked with Martindale after moving to Livingston from Queen of the South. His form in the Scottish top flight earned him a move to QPR as well as a call-up to the Scotland national team. The 27-year-old has eight goals from his 26 international caps with Scotland.