Caley Thistle manager John Hughes will challenge his players to create history in a week that will define the Highland club’s season.
Inverness face Dundee United in tomorrow’s Scottish Cup quarter-final at Caledonian Stadium (kick-off 12.30pm) without suspended midfielder Ross Draper having already booked their place in the League Cup final.
Hughes is confident his side will recover from a five-goal trouncing at Celtic last weekend as Inverness aim to complete a cup double against United after dumping them out of the League Cup in an incident filled extra-time victory last October.
He said: “There is no damage whatsoever from the Celtic result.
“We played an open and expansive 4-4-2 and it did not quite work for us.
“I was a little disappointed in the goals we conceded, it was very uncharacteristic of us.
“It was not the game that will define our season, the games coming up will define our season.
“In saying that it could be over within a week.
“I look at other clubs and managers and players and a lot of them would like to be in the position we are in. I have to give credit to the players for taking the club where it is just now.
“We have a fantastic chance on Sunday to take Caley Thistle into another national semi-final.
“It is a massive opportunity and I have a wee sneaky feeling the players have a taste for cup finals. I hope they go into the game with the mindset they want to put in a man-of-the-match performance and then they will play again the next week. If that is their mindset I won’t have to motivate them much.”
Hughes is mulling over whether to start centre-back Danny Devine tomorrow, with next week’s League Cup final in mind.
Garry Warren is suspended for the Celtic Park showpiece against Aber-deen and the Inverness manager wants to keep the 21-year-old involved.
Devine has made eight appearances this term and came on a second half substitute in last week’s defeat by Celtic. Hughes said: “Danny Devine is in our consideration and he needs game time. The last time we played Aberdeen (in a 1-0 win at Pittodrie on Saturday, January 18) he was outstanding. We touch wood we don’t get an injury in that position. We need to be careful.”
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