Caley Thistle manager John Hughes has warned his players to expect a full strength and motivated St Johnstone in the final game of the Scottish Premiership season tomorrow.
The Saints have a Scottish Cup final against Dundee United to look forward to next weekend but Hughes expects his Saints counterpart Tommy Wright to play his strongest team at Caledonian Stadium.
He said: “I expect Tommy to play his cup final team. I’m not playing mind games but I expect Tommy will want his players to show they want to be in his starting 11 for the Scottish Cup next weekend.
“Stevie May is the only one he might give a rest to as he knows what he can do but he will want to keep his players on their toes.
“Whatever happens they will be motivated to get a result and we have to be as well.
“We’re carrying one or two knocks but I expect we will have the same squad as Wednesday. It’s the last game and I expect the players will want to be involved. “There is too much to play for us, too. If we win we stay above them but if we lose they will finish above us, so I’ll be playing my strongest available team.”
The Caley Jags manager is a huge admirer of the Perth club and how Saints operate but that will not stop him from trying to disrupt their preparations for their cup final against Dundee United next week.
He said: “St Johnstone are a well run club who do things their own way. The way they work brings success. We’re trying to be exactly the same here at Inverness.
“Two of the provincial clubs in St Johnstone and ourselves have reached cup finals this season which is great for the game. We’ve finished in the top six, too, and when you look around the country and see other bigger clubs fighting to stay in the league it shows what can be achieved with the right spirit and attitude.
“We have a structure and, more importantly, a belief here. We’re looking to build on it by sending St Johnstone into the cup final on the back of a defeat.”