Ross County midfielder Max Sheaf will miss the beginning of the season as he recovers from a thigh injury.
Sheaf has not featured since County’s memorable 3-2 victory over Rangers in April, after suffering a torn thigh muscle.
That curtailed the 24-year-old’s season, and forced him to undergo an operation.
Former Hull City youth player Sheaf made 19 appearances in his debut season with the Staggies, after making the switch from English seventh-tier side Redditch United last summer.
Staggies boss Don Cowie says Sheaf is on the recovery trail, but a return to action is still some way off.
He said: “Max will still need a bit of time. It was a nasty injury – a grade-four tear in his thigh muscle – so he needed an operation to repair it.
“We’ll have to be patient with him, and it will be well into the season before he’s back into the group, and then it will be about building him up.
“He’s back at the club after a break. He came back on Saturday, the first time I saw him was at Brora, so he’s delighted to be back around the boys again to give him that lift, because the hard work starts now for him.”
County will also be without defender Will Nightingale for Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup tie away to Stranraer.
English defender Nightingale returned for a second loan spell from AFC Wimbledon earlier this summer, after impressing last term.
Nightingale has suffered a knee injury, with Cowie confirming his absence will be “weeks rather than months.”
Staggies returning to Stair Park
County are in action against a Stranraer side who finished bottom of League Two last season but avoided relegation courtesy of a play-off victory over Lowland League side East Kilbride after extra-time.
It is the second successive season in which the Staggies have started their competitive campaign with the 538-mile round trip to Stair Park, after they cruised to a 5-1 victory in the same competition last season.
The Staggies will also face Championship sides Raith Rovers and Hamilton Accies, along with League Two outfit Stirling Albion, in Group H.
Cowie is an advocate of the group format in building up to the new Premiership season, but he is eager to make a mark in the cup.
He added: “It’s a short window now in pre-season compared to years gone by, and I think we’re all comfortable with that.
“I believe the League Cup is a great concept to give you four competitive games to get ready for the Premiership – but at the same time we want to do well in the cup.
“Over the last few years we haven’t done well enough in cup competitions, so it’s important that you go into these games and be really positive to win the group.
“Then you can look to see where you can get beyond that in the cup, and that’s no different this year.
“It will be a difficult game. We went there last year and won 5-1, but I don’t believe it was a 5-1 game – it was very flattering on our behalf.
“We know it’s going to be a challenge, but I believe our group is in a really good place and I’m looking forward to it.”
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