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Butcher down to the bare bones!


By Bernard Salmon



St Mirren v ICT
St Mirren v ICT

Caley Thistle's Aaron Doran gets past St Mirren's David van Zanten.

CALEY Thistle boss Terry Butcher expects his squad to be pared to the bone again for this Saturday’s SPL clash with St Johnstone.

Due to a spate of injuries and suspensions, Butcher had just 16 players available for last weekend’s entertaining 3-3 draw at St Mirren.

Despite a few players returning to training this week and with defender Ross Tokely available again after suspension, the ICT manager expects things to be similarly difficult for the Saints clash.

He said: “We have got one or two players coming back, but we’ll probably have to go with a similar squad to what we had last week.

“Gavin Morrison and Kenny Gillet are back in training, but it’s their first week back with the first team. Although they’ve done well in their first two days back, it still looks like a week to 10 days for them to get up to the level in training where they could return.

“Nick Ross is hoping he’ll start training again on Thursday.

“And Jonny Hayes got a kick on the foot on Saturday, but he’s improving day by day. It was an impact injury rather than a twist and it’s the other foot from the one he had a problem with recently. He’s had an X-ray which showed no fracture, so he can crack on with his rehabilitation work.”

However, there are still plenty of players on the treatment table.

Butcher said: “Roy McBain is still out, while Dani Sanchez is back in Spain to recuperate. And Graeme Shinnie’s in hospital with a stomach complaint, so he’ll be out for some time.”

The ICT boss is hoping that his side overcomes the injury problems to record their first league win for three months on Saturday.

He said: “I think we’re a point ahead of them and they have one or two games in hand, so a win for us would take us away from them.

“The players are looking forward to it and we desperately want the win, as we haven’t won in three months.

“In some games we’re actually playing better than we were at the start of the season, but we’re just not getting the rub of the green.”

Butcher was pleased with the way his makeshift side performed against St Mirren, saying it was a good performance despite the team never having played together before.

He added: “We only had 16 players available, including Liam Polworth who is only 16.

“Our back four had never played together before, so it was understandable there was a wee lack of familiarity.

“We could have won the game or lost the game, so a draw was probably a fair result.

“But we scored three goals away from home and didn’t win, so it is a little bit galling.

“That’s got us to 30 points, which was one of our targets at the start of the season, so it’s good to be at that stage now.”

Butcher is pleased that his side have created and scored plenty of chances in their last couple of games.

He said: “It is very positive that we’ve scored eight goals in our last two matches. Adam Rooney’s scored four of them, so he’s back to his best.

“We’ve got plenty of striking power, as we have Ritchie (Foran) and Adam linking up well with Jonny Hayes and Aaron Doran – the Paddy Power front four, I call them.

“Those four in particular are making and creating chances and Adam is taking those chances.”

And Butcher was also happy with the way January additions Doran, Alex MacDonald and Chris Hogg have settled into the side.

“I dread to think what we would have done and what the team would have been like last Saturday if we hadn’t got those three players in,” Butcher commented. “All three are good players and we’ve certainly added to the squad.

“Chris and Aaron have scored goals for us already and they’ve definitely got off to a good start. They’re all excellent characters who have settled in really well and are playing a valuable part in our season.”

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