St Johnstone are facing up to an injury crisis for the visit of Hearts on Sunday, with Frazer Wright the latest player to be ruled out of action.
The centre-back limped out of Tuesday’s cup defeat to St Mirren after just 20 minutes with a calf injury, and the prognosis for the former Kilmarnock man is a lay-off of several weeks.
Perth boss Derek McInnes reported: ”Our physio suspects it is along similar lines to the injury keeping Callum Davidson out. If that proves to be the case, Frazer will be out of our plans for weeks.
”It is very disappointing and certainly not what we wanted to hear. Frazer has played every game for me and has done very well.”
Already filling up the McDiarmid Park treatment room are six other first-team players Jody Morris, Kevin Moon, Sam Parkin, Graham Gartland, Murray Davidson and Callum Davidson.
It is possible that one or both of Morris (hamstring) and Moon (shoulder) will be back for the Hearts match.
”We haven’t ruled either out, or in,” McInnes pointed out.
Reflecting on the midweek cup exit, McInnes said: ”I was really disappointed with the result and the performance. We have to make sure we are much better than that on Sunday. We aim to do just that.”
McInnes checked out Hearts in their defeat to Ayr on Wednesday but he knows the team which arrives in Perth will be much changed.
He said: ”There were only three men starting against Ayr who featured in their good win over St Mirren last weekend. I expect a lot of changes again for our match.
”Like us, I’m sure Hearts saw the cup as an opportunity so it will have been a huge disappointment to them. But we can expect a tough encounter on our hands. Whoever is fit we have to make sure we are ready to give a good account of ourselves.”