Malky Mackay has not given up hope leading scorer Jordan White could play a part in Ross County’s two-legged Premiership play-off final against Partick Thistle.
The Staggies make the trip to Firhill on Thursday before playing the second leg at Victoria Park on Sunday.
Although Mackay says White’s cut was a severe one, he remains hopeful the medical provisions taken by the club can allow him to feature in the coming days.
Mackay said: “Jordan has a really dreadful cut in his head.
“It hasn’t been good but we will see where we are with that.
“Jordan is desperate to play but it is one of the worst cuts I have seen in a long while, coming off two players clashing heads.
“It’s a big cut, in terms of how long it bled and how long it is. He got a lot of stitches.
“It has been well attended to and we will be dealing with that over the next few days because it is not cut and dried.”
White a key player in Mackay’s Staggies side
White has been a leading performer for the Staggies this term, with 11 goals to his name.
Mackay says losing the 31-year-old would be a major blow for his side, adding: “He has been someone who has trained every day for me since the day I came here.
“It is quite remarkable. I would be very surprised if he missed a game for me.
“He has also been incredibly consistent in terms of being able to put himself out there, despite the physicality of his game and the way people play against him.
“It was unfortunate and it maybe rolls on, in terms of us losing him early on Sunday when we needed our best team on the pitch.”
Murray and Samuel have key roles to play
Whether White is passed fit to play or not, Mackay says he has full faith in Simon Murray and Alex Samuel to spearhead the Staggies’ attack – with fellow attackers Eamonn Brophy, Dominic Samuel, Josh Stones and Jordy Hiwula sidelined.
He added: “Simon is a great kid and so enthusiastic. He has slipped into the group here although there are times when he has had to bide his time.
“He is back in the Premiership rather than the Championship and there is that difference in terms of space he was getting.
“At St Johnstone he came on and within five minutes scored a screamer.
“He is desperate to be part of it. He knows Partick Thistle well and has played three times against them this season.
“Alex has been out for a year with a bad injury.
“In January he was very adamant he would like to be allowed to stay and worked hard to get into the team.
“He has done that and he has made a difference. Through his own character, worth ethic and personality he is a very popular member of the group.
“To have him, Simon and Jordan would be nice on Thursday and Sunday because we have lost Eamonn Brophy, Dom Samuel, Jordy Hiwula and Josh Stones.
“In the forward area it is quite a number of people who could have come in and impacted at some point this season.”
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