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Gambia games come at perfect time for St Johnstone star Adama Sidibeh

By the time the centre-forward returns from suspension, Uche Ikpeazu could be back in the first-team squad.

A smiling Adama Sidibeh in a St Johnstone t-shirt and wearing a backpack
Adama Sidibeh. Image: SNS.

St Johnstone manager, Craig Levein, is hoping that a trip to Africa turns out to be a “good thing” for Adama Sidibeh.

And he’s also hoping that by the time the Gambian striker returns from suspension for the Perth club, he’ll have introduced Uche Ikpeazu into his match-day squad.

Sidibeh, one game into a four-fixture ban, will get international football game-time over the next week, while Ikpeazu will continue to step up his comeback from a summer knee injury.

“I’m hoping that Adama being away with the Gambian squad is a good thing,” said Levein, who won’t be able to call upon the 26-year-old until Saints face Rangers on October 6.

“He had a little bit of a slow start but that was because of the time that he spent away with the Gambia in the summer.

Adama Sidibeh walks past fans
Adama Sidibeh. Image: SNS.

“Adama only had a week and a half or two weeks’ rest. Then we had to send him away again because he looked absolutely done.

“He’s gradually got himself back into good shape.

“If he was here, he’d just be training and not playing, which players don’t like.

“Hopefully playing for his country will keep him ticking over. If he misses four games for us, he could play a few games for them.

“Perhaps that balances it up a bit.”

Craig Levein on Uche Ikpeazu return

On former Hearts striker Ikpeazu, Levein reported: “Uche has been at St George’s for his rehab. You book in for a week at a time.

“Sometimes the slots are available and sometimes they’re not. He’s managed to get a week’s slot then managed to get another one.

“I think when he gets back up here, he’ll be running. If he’s running then we’re, maximum, a couple of weeks away from him playing.

“But you have to allow for time for him to get up to speed.

“What it does do is, give us another type of striker.

Uche Ikpeazu playing against St Johnstone.
Uche Ikpeazu playing against St Johnstone. Image: SNS.

“Rather than just having speed and strength and Nicky’s guile, we’ve then got somebody with real capabilities of linking the game, holding the ball up, making the midfield players’ runs more profitable.

“All these things make the type of striker that’s quite desirable, particularly in Scotland.”

Levein isn’t yet at the stage of being able to put a precise date on Ikpeazu’s likely involvement with the first team.

“Exact time lines, I’m not sure,” he said.

“But I was kind of looking at the end of September. That was my hope.”

Gambia play Comoros on Wednesday and Tunisia on Sunday, as they seek to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

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