Dan Phillips’ suspension will force at least one starting line-up change for St Johnstone at Hearts this weekend.
And manager Callum Davidson has revealed it may also prompt a change of system.
The Perth boss has kept opposition coaches guessing with his formations in recent weeks, alternating between a back three and a back four, and the build-up to Saturday’s Tynecastle contest will be no different.
Plugging the hole left by Phillips will be no easy task but Davidson is confident Saints will be able to do it and maintain their recent upturn in form.
“We’ve got a good squad,” he said.
“David Wotherspoon, Jamie Murphy and Graham Carey have been unlucky not to play.
“I’ve got a lot of players who can come in.
“It will be a great opportunity for somebody to grab the jersey.
“I might have a look at changing the system against Hearts – so it could be an opportunity for one or two.
“We want to keep things fresh and keep players on their toes.”
No more loans
Davidson has let Michael O’Halloran and Ali Crawford leave on loan but there will now be no more players heading out of McDiarmid Park.
“It was right for both of them,” he said.
“Ali has been training really well and is a good boy to have around the place.
“He was involved in games to an extent but when you’re in your early 30s it’s important you’re playing regularly.
“He’s got the opportunity at Morton and I definitely wasn’t going to stand in his way.
“With Michael, it’s been frustrating for him to not be involved.
“I’ve got other guys in his position who have been superb this season.
“It’s been tough for Michael to get in the team.
“We wish both of them all the best and hopefully they do well for Morton and Cove.”
🔵 After making his debut for the club on Saturday afternoon, Michael O'Halloran spoke with Cove Rangers TV. #CRFC pic.twitter.com/I0txmEukNy
— Cove Rangers FC (@CoveRangersFC) February 27, 2023
He added: “That’s it as far as loans.
“We’ve let four go out and I’m working with a squad of 22.
“That’s a good balance.
“Hopefully we’ll soon have Chris Kane and Ryan McGowan back.”
Ironically, Davidson didn’t have a full bench for the St Mirren match.
“Connor (McLennan) pulled out at the last minute because of sickness,” he reported.
“He’s fine now and will be available for Hearts.”
Rudden making his mark
Meanwhile, Davidson is delighted with the impact Saturday’s goalscorer, Zak Rudden, has made so far.
“It’s nice when you bring someone to score goals and he gets one early,” he said.
“The biggest thing with Zak is he knows where the goal is.
“It was a fantastic header.
“Yes, he was a little bit frustrated at the other end with their equaliser and there are things he can improve on but he’s shown the quality and the striker’s instinct he’ll give us.
“Zak and Theo (Bair) did well when they came on after Stevie (May) and Nicky (Clark) had put in a hard shift.”
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