St Johnstone have received some welcome good news, with striker Steven MacLean revealing his recovery is ahead of schedule.
Saints don’t have their troubles to seek at the moment, having been knocked out of the League Cup by Rangers on Tuesday, without a win in the Premiership since August 30 and having to face Motherwell in the league on Friday night without concussion victim Murray Davidson.
The big problem at Ibrox was their inability to convert even one of several chances created and, of course, they would have loved to have had MacLean to call upon.
The frontman underwent major knee surgery four weeks ago and early indications were that he could be ruled out for six months.
However, MacLean believes he could make a new year comeback.
“I have just started walking and that’s progress for me,” he said. “I’m looking at 10 weeks from now and hopefully then I will have a St Johnstone strip back on.”
MacLean, who returned from a four-month absence prompted by knee surgery last season, watched the cup defeat to Rangers from the sidelines.
He said: “Matches like the quarter-final at Ibrox are the sort of games you want to be playing in.”
Davidson’s replacement on Tuesday, Gary McDonald, stressed the need for the Perth men to pick themselves up in time to welcome Motherwell to McDiarmid Park.
He said: “We don’t want a gap developing between us and the top six.
“We need to start making our home a fortress and it has to start on Friday for us.”