St Johnstone face more injury strife

Aug 22 2008 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THERE was mixed news on the McDiarmid Park injury front this week, with skipper Kevin James sidelined for up to six weeks and returns on the cards for keeper Alan Main, midfielder Martin Hardie and possibly Steven Anderson.

The loss of team captain James is frustrating for manager Derek McInnes, but it’s a short-term absence in comparison with the knee surgery which wiped out a whole season.

After suffering knee swelling, James was dispatched to a specialist who spotted a cartilage tear and operated there and then. McInnes said the defender will be out for anything between three and six weeks.

But on the plus side, Hardie has recovered from the virus which floored him last week.

And both Anderson and Stuart McCaffrey are battling it out to slot-in for James against Partick Thistle tomorrow. Collin Samuel is also pressing for a start.

McInnes said: “Martin trained and he’s got the bug out of his system. It’s disappointing to lose big Kevin but we do have options.”

Saints won a bounce game against Ayr United, designed to give Main a run for the first time since the tail end of last season.

And the 40-year-old looks set to start at Firhill, with Scots U21 player Euan McLean on the bench.

McInnes said: “We had hoped Alan would only miss the first week of action after taking a decision to press on with the shoulder surgery at the end of last season. It has taken a bit longer than anticipated. Maybe we could have thrown him in last Saturday but that was too big a risk. Now he has had a full week’s training and a game so he will be in my thoughts.”

Left-back Dan Smith goes in again as a trialist. A decision on his future will have to be made after the game but the Englishman looks odds-on to stay.

McInnes is looking for his players to banish the blues created by the home defeat from Dunfermline.

He said: “There are probably five teams chasing the same prize and Partick are a big club whose fans regard themselves as one of the big boys in this division. So there is as much pressure on Thistle as there is on us.

“We have got last Saturday out of our systems and I want to see a reaction this weekend. The players were hurt by the Dunfermline result. They took it as badly as anyone. Hopefully we can win this game.”

SAINTS are away to Livingston on Tuesday in the Co-operative Insurance Cup. It is a 7.45pm kick-off. Admission is £12 and it’s £6 for U16s and over 65s.