Ross County will have to adapt style of play after Noah Chilvers’ ACL injury, with likes of Australia international Josh Nisbet and Watford loanee Jack Grieves backed to step up
Ross County manager Don Cowie admits that the Staggies will have to change how they play in light of a serious injury to Noah Chilvers.
The creative midfielder had become a mainstay in the County starting 11, playing 32 times across all competitions this season.
However, it was confirmed ahead of their match against Aberdeen that Chilvers had ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament, meaning he is unlikely to play again in 2025.
Speaking to the press earlier today, Cowie confirmed that Chilvers is in London for a consultation with a surgeon, and could possibly go under the knife tomorrow.
Given how instrumental the former Colchester United man has been to the Staggies’ attacking threat this season, with Cowie labelling Chilvers a “talisman”, his absence will force some tweaks to how County go about creating chances for the rest of the season.
“We’ve played in a way similar to when we had Yan Dhanda in terms of giving him that freedom to go and express himself on the pitch,” Cowie explained.
“It just means we have to have a different dynamic within the team because there is no natural replacement who plays in the same manner as Noah.
“Jack Grieves played at the weekend, and we played it slightly differently – what he has is running power. Josh Nisbet could play there, slightly higher – he has shown he can be a goal threat.
“It’s a massive opportunity. I don’t think anyone would have a direct replacement for Noah, in terms of his individuality as a football player, but we've got plenty of other players who have got different strengths and it's up to them to bring that to the team when they play now.”
While Grieves got the nod to start in Chilvers’ place against Aberdeen, he did so in a slightly different role, playing more as a winger opposite Kieran Phillips either side of Jordan White as a lone striker.
Should Cowie opt to return to type for the season so far, then, Nisbet may be the obvious candidate to play as a number 10.
The Australian international has found himself in and out of the side since the turn of the year, only playing around 90 minutes across the whole of February since Nohan Kenneh returned to Dingwall to partner club captain Connor Randall deeper in midfield.
It has been a year of adjustment for Nisbet since he swapped his homeland for the Highlands, but Cowie is happy with how he has fared to date.
“He has been a little bit in and out of the team at times, but he has still been a big part of it here and played a lot of games,” Cowie added.
“You can see the quality he has got. We understand the transition he has had to make to Scottish football, and over the winter months was probably an eye-opener to him, not just because of the weather but the pitches as well.
“I take that into consideration when picking the team because of the way he wants to play. It was always going to be challenging, and I think he’s done really well.
“There’s definitely more to come from him, and we’ll be challenging and demanding more of him, but for his first season he has played a big part while making that transition.
“Now we’ve got six games left and I’m sure he could have a massive impact for us in those six games before looking to kick on and get even better next season.”