Dunfermline loan star Ben Summers is “touch and go” for this weekend’s visit of Arbroath, according to James McPake.
The Celtic youngster wasn’t risked in last weekend’s defeat to Partick Thistle after he picked up a slight thigh injury.
Summers will be assessed ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Championship clash. If he again misses out, McPake is confident he will return for the following week against Ayr United.
“He is touch and go,” said the Pars boss. “He has a minor thigh injury that we have had two different scan reports on. One person is saying that he is okay to play, the other person saying no he is not.
“We have had it cleared up, it is minor. We will give him to the very last minute but if he doesn’t make this weekend, we will definitely have him back by the Ayr United game.”
There were no crisis meetings or overanalysis of the Pars’ most recent result, a 3-0 defeat to Partick Thistle.
James McPake: No overreaction to Dunfermline’s defeat to Thistle
Dunfermline weren’t at the races at all, across the pitch, but their manager is hoping he can put it down to a blip in their season.
He is hoping to get back on track this weekend when Dick Campbell’s side come to East End Park.
“We are not going to overreact and start asking what are we doing wrong here,” said McPake.
“We have just got our heads down to work on getting back to a level of performance. That’s still the big belief, if we get that right the results will be more positive than not.
“If that had happened in the first game, we would be sitting wondering, what do we do here?” said McPake. “Or if it had happened, happened and happened.
“We will see performances like that again but it’s our jobs, as coaches and the players, to not show that side of performance.
“The biggest desire in there is to get up to the level of performance that they have shown.”
Dunfermline team news
In other team news, Paul Allan has trained after suffering bruising on his knee and Rhys Breen has made his expected return to the training field.
Kyle Benedictus won’t make this weekend, neither will Andrew Tod who is set to see a specialist.
“Bene won’t make this weekend but come the Ayr United game it will be seven weeks,” added McPake. “He was told that he would be back in six weeks but Bene wanted to make that four.
“He is one that you have to take extra special care with because he will tell you that he is right when he is not.”
