Ross County interim co-manager Steven Ferguson believes Staggies captain Andrew Davies will have a big part to play in the club’s fight against relegation as he nears a return from injury.
The central defender has been missing since January 24 with a calf injury but Ferguson said recent postponements and the upcoming international break will give Davies, 33, a better chance of featuring heavily in the run-in.
County face a crucial match at home to Hamilton tomorrow but are then off for two weeks before they travel to Glasgow to face Celtic on March 31.
Ferguson said: “We always look for positives so while people might see the break coming up as a negative, given the start-stop nature of it, it gives the injured boys an extra week to recover. It also gives us extra preparation time and a better chance to get our message across to the players.
“Andrew Davies is a big player for us – his experience and his voice on the park are invaluable. He’s getting closer now and without a doubt, he has so much to offer the team in the remainder of the season, he’s the leader and captain.
“He had a recurrence of a calf injury. He was putting his body on the line for way longer than he should have been and it just all caught up with him. What’s really positive is that he feels it is behind him now. He has got himself in good condition.”
Ross Draper and Jason Naismith picked up minor knocks in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat by Kilmarnock but should be fit to play tomorrow, while Sean Kelly, Mattias Kait and Greg Tansey are all out.
With County four points behind second-bottom Partick Thistle and eight behind Hamilton, Ferguson knows it is imperative that the Staggies start picking up points.
He said: “What we need to be sure of is everyone 100% fit to start – and finish the game.
“We see this Hamilton game as a huge challenge and recognise the importance of it for this area and this club.
“The only thing we can influence is our own game. I’d be lying if I said after the game we won’t be looking at other results.
“What we want to do is go into this break off the back of a win. That will leave everything looking a little bit better.”