Ross County manager Jim Mc-Intyre has continued his clear-out of the Victoria Park squad by releasing three defenders and telling right back Jim Fenlon he can leave.
Slovenian Uros Celcer, Belgian Tim Dreesen and Dutchman Jordi Balk have been released by the Staggies, with English right back Fenlon told to find a new club.
It brings an end to a short-lived spell in Dingwall for the quartet, all signed by former manager Derek Adams in the summer.
Left back Celcer, 25, joined County from Serie A side Parma, while defender Dreesen, 27, was transferred from Lierse to Club Brugge for £1.3million in 2006, before joining the Staggies from Fortuna Sittard in the summer.
Balk, 20, came through the youth ranks at FC Utrecht before his move to Scotland, with the trio joining Dutch midfielder Melvin de Leeuw and French defender Rosario Latouchent in leaving the club since McIntyre’s arrival.
McIntyre confirmed mixed news on the injury front, with defender Darren Barr ruled out for the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury.
However captain Richard Brittain, who was due to undergo a foot operation during the current international break, has requested the surgery be postponed.
Brittain filled in at right back in last weekend’s 3-0 win against Kilmarnock, and McIntyre is pleased with the 30 year-old’s decision.
McIntyre said: “Richie came to me after the Kilmarnock game and asked to postpone his operation.
“He’s managing to cope with it. I thought he did exceptionally well at right back, so we were delighted when he came to us and said he wanted to see if he could get on with it. If it comes to a stage in the future where it’s getting too painful, we’ll deal with it.
In a further boost to McIntyre’s selection options, Canadian midfielder Terry Dunfield has returned to training following a groin injury which had sidelined him since the 5-0 defeat against Celtic last month.
McIntyre is determined to use the international break to good effect, ahead of a busy festive schedule in which County will be determined to climb further away from the foot of the Premiership.
McIntyre added: “It’s the easiest thing in the world to say the break comes at a bad time, when you’ve had a great result and you want to continue that momentum. However, we’ve all known since the start of the season when the international breaks are. We just get on with it. The games will be coming thick and fast, so we’ll take this opportunity and the players will get the weekend off.”