Mowi Premiership champions and table-toppers Kingussie have been hit by a double unlucky break as they seek to add the Macaulay and Camanachd Cups to the MacTavish Cup in their trophy cabinet.
Defender Calum Grant has sustained a broken finger, while attacker Dylan Borthwick has chipped a bone in his ankle. Both will miss Saturday’s big league tussle with title rivals Lovat at The Dell.
“Calum may only be out for a couple of weeks, but we’re looking at four to six weeks for Dylan”, revealed manager John Gibson. “They’ve had X-rays which confirm fractures sustained at Caberfeidh.
“We seem to be having really atrocious luck with injuries this season, even though we’ve still managed to produce the results.”
Grant, 23, and Borthwick, 21, will also miss next weekend’s Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup quarter-final with Skye in Portree.
Midfield driving force Fraser Munro is also unavailable for the clash with Lovat – who are nine points behind Kingussie but have four games in hand.
While Kingussie are undefeated, Lovat’s only loss was 4-2 at Kingussie in the MacTavish Cup semi-final on May 14.
Lovat will again be without key defender Callum Cruden and midfield ace Lorne MacKay, who have been injured for four weeks. In addition, Martin Mainland has badly bruised ribs and is rated as having a 50-50 chance by manager Jamie Matheson.
“Callum is on the mend, but Lorne is now looking as if he’ll be out for a fair bit longer, which is disappointing as he’s a massive player for us”, said Matheson.
“Graeme Macmillan, however, has been doing a great job as his replacement at full centre, while Bailey Mackay is shaping up impressively in defence.
“We’ve been playing consistently well and we’re keen to try for revenge against the only team to beat us.”
Roddy Young, who scored two goals against Lovat in that semi-final, has hit two successive hat tricks and has rattled in 12 goals in 10 outings and the big fellow will be a major threat to the Kiltarlity defence as Kings bid for their eleventh successive league victory.
But Marc MacLachlan, who hit the Macaulay Cup quarter-final winner against Kinlochshiel last Saturday, is benefiting from extra work on the training ground and his power could pose problems for the home side in what is poised to be an entertaining affair.
Youngster back in the fold for Shiel as they take on strugglers
Seventeen-year-old Archie MacRae returns to the Kinlochshiel attack for their game with second-bottom Caberfeidh at Reraig Park.
“Archie’s turning into an important player for us and it’s good to have him back,” said manager Johnston Gill.
“We beat Cabers 7-0 at our place early in the campaign, but they’ve quality forwards so we need to be fully focused.”
Fort William skipper Arran MacPhee is having a scan on a knee problem and he will miss their home game with Oban Camanachd.
The An Aird outfit, however, hope to have Victor Smith Jr, Jamie Duncan and Lewis Clark all making their comebacks as they chase a win to lift them away from the relegation vicinity.
Daniel Madej is on holiday and will be missing from the front line for fifth-placed Oban, who have fired 20 goals in ten league outings.
Roddy Macdonald and Andy King return for Kyles Athletic’s home game with Kilmallie – in eighth place a point behind Fort – as Kyles bid to bounce back from their Celtic Society Cup final defeat.
“You don’t win if you don’t put the ball in the net,” said manager Robert Baxter. “But we didn’t play too badly and we’re looking for the win that will keep us well clear of the relegation struggle.”
Second-top Newtonmore, three points ahead of Lovat, but with three games more played, make the trip to face a Glasgow Mid Argyll side buoyant after their Celtic trophy triumph. Drew Macdonald is still a longer-term absentee for the visitors.
Strathglass, winners in 2009, face the 2001 winners Inveraray at Ballachulish in an intriguing Ferguson Transport and Shipping Balliemore Cup semi-final.
With brothers Campbell and Fraser Watt in scoring form, Inveraray start slight favourites in this duel of National Division sides, though the prolific Penri Jones offers danger from the Cannich men.