Elgin City player-manager Ross Draper hopes to bring defensive pair Matthew Cooper and Jake Dolzanski closer to full match sharpness in Tuesday’s SPFL Trust Trophy tie against Forfar Athletic.
Cooper and Dolzanski both missed the entirety of Elgin’s Viaplay Cup group stage campaign, due to knocks carried over from the tail end of last season.
Skipper Cooper has returned to the bench but has yet to feature, while Dolzanski played 45 minutes of the opening League Two match at home to Stranraer.
Draper is planning to involve both players against Forfar at Borough Briggs tonight, which will move the Black and Whites closer to having a fully fit squad.
He said: “There are boys who could do with games, that haven’t played.
“Matthew and Jake are two that will be involved at some point. It’s a good chance for them to get game time.
“They are two we have missed quite a lot in the cup games and pre-season.
“It’s good to have them back around, not only in the dressing room but starting games and getting minutes under their belt.”
City have stronger numbers to pick from
Fin Allen remains sidelined after undergoing a calf operation, while Matty Jamieson is also out with a shoulder injury.
Draper brought his tally of summer signings up to seven last week, with the loan addition of Ross County forward Matthew Wright.
The Elgin boss remains keen to add to his squad, but any further arrivals must be permanent deals after reaching the quota of five loans.
Draper feels he is starting to see depth in his squad and he hopes to take the chance to rotate in tonight’s cup tie.
He added: “We will try to balance the fact the league is the main priority, but we also do want to progress into the next round as it’s good for the club.
“We will make that judgment and go from there. All the boys are capable of doing a job, and they are disappointed if they don’t play.
“It’s an opportunity to impress and push for a start against Spartans on Saturday.
“It does look healthier. It’s good to have numbers on the bench, and when we do get boys back we can make decisions with the younger boys in terms of whether they go out or stay.”
Elgin quickly back in action against Loons
The match will be Elgin’s second match against the Loons in quick succession, with the sides having drawn 0-0 at Station Park on Saturday.
After getting their first point of the season on board, Draper hopes Elgin can use the result as a building block.
Draper added: “It was pleasing to get a clean sheet on Saturday, in terms of making sure we are hard to beat.
“I thought it was a good defensive display, with stuff to maybe still work on in the final third.
“It gives us confidence as we know we will give ourselves a chance in games if we can keep clean sheets.
“I’m expecting just as tight a game when we play Forfar for a second time.”
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