Frazer Wright has seen most things in a long career in professional football.
But the casualty count at St Johnstone before the domestic campaign has even got underway is the worst he has encountered.
Murray Davidson, Chris Millar, Simon Lappin, David Wotherspoon, Steven Anderson and himself have all picked up knocks of varying degrees of severity.
Wright, who stretched his groin in the second leg of their Europa League clash with Alashkert, said: “We have to try and get boys fit and ready for Tynecastle next weekend.
“I can’t remember having so many injured at this stage of the season. Maybe it is just bad luck or tired bodies.
“We are all fit enough and the pre-season schedule was well planned. But maybe it is an indication that players’ bodies do need a bit longer break in the summer.
“We have to focus on Hearts and the league. Europe has gone for us.
“For once it would be nice to get off to a flying start. We usually don’t get going until September and I’ve no idea why we are slow starters.
“Hopefully we can get a few decent results in August to set us up for another good campaign.”
Wright’s injury is a short-term one, but his defensive partner Steven Anderson’s turned out to be much more serious – a fractured eye socket.
“Ando took a real bad one,” he recalled. “The lad led with his elbow. It was definitely deliberate and he took a sore one. You don’t like seeing that in any game. You can accept it if it comes from a fair challenge but not when the intent was there to do real damage.
“Ando isn’t the type to go down and stay down so we knew he had a real problem.
“He was in a right state. He was sprawled across the physio’s table, totally groggy.
“His face had swollen up badly and some of the boys said he had been close to throwing up on the pitch.
“Now he’s having to undergo surgery which is a blow to him and to us.”