St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright admits he can’t wait to unleash Stevie May on Luzern.
The club’s top scorer will lead the line against the Swiss side tonight as Saints aim to get over the line, with their Europa League second qualifying round clash tied at 1-1 from the trip to the Alps last week.
The rest of Scottish football has seen what damage May can do to defences, and now it could be Luzern’s turn to see him wreak havoc.
“We have confidence that we can score again against them,” declared Wright. “We don’t have to chase the game but it would be foolhardy of us to sit in all the time.
“I think that at home we can cause them more problems than we did across in Switzerland.
“Stevie May coming back will give us a big lift. I am really looking forward to seeing how he does against them.
“He gives us a different dimension and I don’t think they will have played against too many players like him.”
Wright expects Luzern to alter their starting line-up after Paraguayan playmaker Dario Lezcano, Portuguese World Cup player Sava Bento and Slovenian Oliver Bozanic all showed up well after coming off the bench following Steven Maclean’s opener for the visitors.
Also posing a threat will be the likes of Albanian playmaker Jahmir Hyka and the man who levelled for Luzern, their new Swiss-born striker Marco Schneuwly.
Alain Wiss was the one picked out by Wright as the biggest danger before last Thursday but the St Johnstone players did a great job in keeping him quiet.
“Luzern have a few options and the substitutes they brought on did very well so they might freshen it up,” said the Saints boss.
“They have had another league game as well (against Sion) so they might make a couple of changes.
“However, if we are set out, work to the game plan and keep ourselves in the match then I think we can score a goal.”
A big crowd is expected inside McDiarmid this evening for what could be a “special” night, according to Wright.
“We are looking at having over 8,000 at the game and maybe even 9,000,” he said.
“We have come back from Switzerland with the tie alive, just like we did against Rosenborg, Minsk and Eskisehirspor in the past.
“European ties catch the imagination of the fans and if you have a chance in them then people will turn out.
“These European nights can be very special.”