When assistant manager Dave Mackay addressed the media over lunch, he was hopeful that the home game against Queen’s Park on Saturday will be better than the current weather:
Although it’s much gentler, the temperature has increased, so we still have a chance.It’s the same as last week or any other week; you have to prepare as if every game is on.You’re getting ready as though the match will actually take place.If we told the players that there was any question, we wouldn’t be performing our jobs. Both we and the players believe it will go on.I hope it is.
Should the game be rescheduled for a second consecutive week, it will have been more than three weeks after the loss at Hampden, and the next game is scheduled for Saturday, January 27. Dave issued a warning:
“You don’t want to skip too many games. The interval between games would thus be three weeks.Players and staff alike want the next game to happen as soon as possible, especially if they’re having a bad run of play and are coming off a bad performance against Queen’s Park the previous time.Regretfully, we were unable to play last week, but perhaps we will have another opportunity on Saturday.
Dave stated that he hopes to have a couple players return that he didn’t have available for Queen’s Park away since the extreme cold has given the Pars’ long injury list more time to heal.
That’s a boost, and Malachi Fagan-Walcott has undoubtedly joined the team as well.We therefore appear to be in better shape.Still, it’s not perfect. We’re undoubtedly looking healthier than we did at Hampden the last time, but many of them will still be out for a long time.
Although Lewis McCann’s availability is still listed as 50/50, Dave emphasized that having both Sam Fisher and Ewan Otoo available is a plus:-
Lewis still has some hamstring soreness, so we’ll need to monitor him closely and see how he feels on Saturday. Sam Fisher has resumed his training, and Ewan Otoo is training just great once more.Therefore, a few players who have been absent will be added to the team.
After being cleared to play, Sam Fisher will now wear a face mask alongside Chris Hamilton, who wore one when Matty Todd began the season. During the New Year’s derby against Roth Rovers at home, the 21-year-old defender sustained a severe cut to his face and sustained a concussion. Measures were taken to assure his recovery:
“He had some autonomy over what he could do, but no guidance or interaction was provided.”He should be okay and accessible because, according to his conversation with the expert on Tuesday night, he has trained a few times this week and has a mask on to cover his fractured nose.
Chris Hamilton, the second football player wearing a mask, is likely just one game away from winning it all. Starting on Monday, he is free to practice and play without it. His assistant manager gave him credit for mastering the necessary admustments.
“He’s performed admirably in it, despite the fact that wearing it as a footballer is uncomfortable. Your vision is affected by it. They claim that while you’re looking down at the ball at your feet, it affects you the most. You have to move your head a lot more than you usually would, but Chris doesn’t seem to notice a change in his overall play.
Speaking about Harry Sharp’s loan return to Dundee, Dave said:
“Deniz and Max Little are still with us, so our goalkeeping situation isn’t critically lacking. As it approaches the window’s end, we’ll see. It’s not a job with much priority. There are other parts of the pitch where we lack depth.
“There are other areas we need to focus on initially; I believe the manager has already stated that we’re searching for a striker and maybe another defender as soon as feasible. It could be the one we glance at at the very end of the window.
Dave said, “Again, it’s the usual with these sorts of things, and especially the January transfer window, that it’s a domino effect,” when asked whether there were any upcoming signings. When a single club takes a step, other players become available for loan or transfer.
It’s not ideal that a lot of work is done in the final few days. We have identified a few players who we would love to have in as soon as possible.But, the question is if the clubs are prepared to transact business or if they have requirements before we may admit them. There are possibilities there, and maybe we can swiftly get in one or two of them.
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