St Johnstone playmaker Graham Carey should only be out of action for weeks rather than months.
Manager Callum Davidson has revealed that the first scan on the knee injury the Irishman sustained in training hasn’t shown anything really ominous.
The problem still hasn‘t been fully diagnosed but there’s cautious optimism at McDiarmid Park that Carey’s lay-off won’t be a long one.
“Graham’s scan has come back better than we anticipated,” said Davidson.
“There’s still a bit of swelling there so further investigation is needed but it’s not as serious as we thought it might be.
“He will still need to do a bit of rehab work on it and will be out but it should be weeks rather than months now.
“The news we got from the scan was a boost.
“He’s been one of our best players and has brought a lot of quality to the team.
“He’s been a very important part of the team so hopefully he will be back on the training pitch as soon as possible.”
Adam Montgomery came off injured in the first game of Scotland under-21s’ double header against Northern Ireland and missed the second.
“Monty has picked up a knock on international duty so we are assessing him and will see how he is later this week,” said Davidson.
“I’m not sure if Daniel (Phillips) will make the weekend yet but David Wotherspoon and Tony Gallacher will get another game for the reserves.
“They will get 90 minutes, which will be great for David and will push Tony towards the squad for Saturday.”
Cammy Ballantyne challenge
Meanwhile, Davidson identified the progress he wants to see Cammy Ballantyne make in his fourth loan spell with Montrose.
“Cammy needs to be playing and standing out when he plays,” he said.
“It’s important for him to get away and show what he can do with Montrose again.
“He needs to aim to stand out and be the biggest player in their team.
“He’s got a fantastic football brain and to get to the next stage he needs to drive himself forward.”
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