St Johnstone manager Callum Davidson expects to have Jamie McCart back in his starting line-up for this week’s rearranged game against Aberdeen.
And the Perth boss is hopeful that the other injured senior pros won’t be far behind him.
Saturday’s clash with Kilmarnock was the first match McCart has missed since arriving in January.
But Davidson is confident that the former Inverness Caley Thistle centre-back will return to the Saints defence on Thursday night.
“Jamie had a slight niggle in his hip,” he reported. “He had it before the Rangers game but it managed to settle down.
“It flared up again and, with the astroturf pitch, we didn’t want to risk it. We’ve got big games coming up and didn’t want to lose him for them.
“The others are all slowly coming back, all at different stages but out on the grass.
“Chris Kane will be full training this week and Stevie May should be as well at some point.
“We’ve had five big players out in Kane, May, McCart, Davidson and Clark. It shows how well the rest of the players have done.
“Hopefully they can all get back within the next week or so and that will obviously help the squad.”
Meanwhile, Davidson knows that they will be facing an Aberdeen side determined to change the mood music at Pittodrie after being engulfed by the off-pitch Covid-19 crisis.
It is guesswork to predict how many of the coronavirus eight will take part on Thursday but of the group under fire, only Sam Cosgrove is definitely out with an injury.
“It’s going to be a tough game and you could say they will be fresh because they haven’t played,” said Davidson.
“The ones who haven’t been away will be training really hard and will be desperate to get in the team. It’s a chance for a few of them to play.
“Aberdeen will work hard and they will be determined – definitely up for the fight.
“It’s unfortunate that this happened but for me I look at how they will react on the football side. They will want to help the manager and regain his trust.
“It will be an easy team talk for Derek (McInnes).
“I need to make sure my players are up for it and that they are confident from the victory on Saturday.
“We won’t take Aberdeen lightly. You know whatever team they put out, even if they had eight missing, it will still be a good one.
“They have had no games so that has probably helped with injuries and getting players back.”
Saints’ comeback victory at Rugby Park leaves them on a decent total of four points from three away matches and they now have the chance to build on that solid platform with the Dons, then Hibs and St Mirren coming to Perth in successive fixtures.
“On Saturday after 60 minutes and having lost a goal it looked like a difficult place to get three points,” said Davidson. “It’s a difficult place to go anyway.
“I was delighted the players kept going and going to get the win.
“It’s three home games for us now, but all tough ones. It will be good to get playing again at McDiarmid Park.”
