St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson delighted Millwall don’t intend to recall Alex Mitchell – but plan B will be needed

Millwall manager Gary Rowett revealing that his plan is to leave Alex Mitchell at St Johnstone for the rest of the season is music to Callum Davidson’s ears.

But the Perth boss is well aware there could yet be a change of tune – and he’ll come up with a back-up plan in case of a mid-season London recall for the young centre-back.

Rowett confirmed last week that it would take an injury crisis in Mitchell’s position to alter his thinking about the 21-year-old staying in Scotland until May.

Davidson wouldn’t be doing his job properly if he didn’t have fall-back options in place, though.

“Gary said that about Danny McNamara too!” he said.

“We are great mates but football is a business too so we are always preparing for both scenarios.

“It’s great Gary has said that they want him to stay for the full season because he’s been brilliant for us.

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“Hopefully that’s the way it pans out. He’s been an integral part of our squad and has been developing really well.

“So we are really grateful to Millwall for letting him come to us.”

Tweaks and changes

Davidson is hoping centre-half doesn’t become an area of his squad that will require attention next month.

It won’t be a busy window but there is likely to be McDiarmid Park movement – almost certainly out and maybe also in.

“We are looking at the squad ahead of January and will probably be making a few tweaks and changes,” he said.

“There will be players who want more minutes than they have been getting so that continual assessment of the squad will keep going.

“There are also always things that come up in January that we’ll look at too.”

Davidson added: “Cammy MacPherson and Callum Booth are both back and have played minutes in the games we’ve had during the break (a closed-doors draw with Kilmarnock was the last of those).

“So that’s two extra bodies straight away and the squad is looking strong.

“It’s just Murray Davidson and Chris Kane we have coming back now.”

Training options

Meanwhile, Davidson’s squad may be training away from McDiarmid over the next few days as they prepare for the resumption of the Premiership season in Dingwall at the weekend.

“We’re having to make plans because of the weather because it was down to minus seven in Perth on Monday,” he explained.

“When it gets that cold even the covers we have down on the training pitches struggle so we’ll be looking at all our options.”