NO QUICK RETURN FOR JODY

Derek McInnes has received a set-back this morning with the news that Jody Morris is facing a two to three week lay-off through injury.

The former Chelsea man picked up a hamstring strain in the pre-season game at Inverness and missed Saturday’s Challenge Cup opener in Dingwall. Intensive treatment over the weekend has not brought about the desired improvement and a period of rest will now be required.

Derek told the Saints Official Website this morning “It’s a blow for Jody and for the team. He was looking really influential in the early pre-season games only to pick up the injury seven days before the start of the season. It’s a real frustration but I feel I have other options in that area of the park and he will not be rushed.”

The news on Jody wasn’t the only bad tidings for the Perth gaffer: Steven Anderson and Steven Milne limped out of the Challenge Cup defeat and at this stage neither look likely to be available for the league opener against Livingston on Saturday.

Derek continued, “Savo has a groin problem and we are looking at a week to ten days out while Ando was getting pain in his knee from the very early stages of Saturday’s game so we will need to get to the bottom of that.”

Turning to the game that saw Saints relinquish their hold on the Challenge Cup, Derek said “It was a poor defence of the trophy. We had a lot of fans up there on Saturday and I know what it meant to them and the club to win the cup last season. We wanted to defend it but we didn’t. If, at the end of the season, we can look back and say that the defeat got the kind of reaction from the players that led to a successful league campaign then fine, I would sacrifice the Challenge Cup for the league. But at the moment, on the Monday morning, it hurts.”

The Manager had few positives to take from the game, describing each of the goals lost as being “as poor a goal as you will see conceded” and he will this week continue his pursuit of his preferred target to fill the left-back slot and also watch closely as that Alan Main steps up training this week.

Noting a positive impact from a less-than-match-fit Collin Samuel, Del said “we didn’t have the best of luck with the injuries on Saturday but we still had enough experienced players out there to get a win. We all have to take collective responsibility and get things right for Saturday.”