PICK AND FIX
Robbo waits to name side after Well’s Covid-19 chaos
STEPHEN ROBINSON is hoping there’s no late surprises for this clash with St Johnstone – but will hold off on naming his side just in case.
The Motherwell gaffer saw his plans ripped up at the last minute last weekend when Allan Campbell and Barry Maguire were caught up in the Scotland Under-21 chaos.
Robinson’s men secured a point in Perth despite the setback but the manager won’t be taking any chances as the sides square up again in the Betfred Cup today.
He said: “I won’t name my squad on the Friday this week. The problem with that is you then have to go back to boys and ask them to play.
“It reduces your options on the bench as well.
“That was disappointing so taking a point from the game last week was decent with hindsight.
“It was an average performance but it was a good point. We hope there is nothing that upsets our plans this week.
“It’s very difficult at the moment and there is no real normality from day to day.
“People get tested and you have no idea what results are going to come back. Every week it is just a case of keeping your fingers crossed.”
Robinson admitted there’s no coaching manual to prepare bosses for the chaos of coronavirus. He said: “It has been a challenging season in so many ways and there is still no news of our fixtures being rearranged.
“No doubt they will try to cram them into as short a period of time as possible. For some reason they haven’t been able to conduct their investigations that quickly.
“It has been difficult to manage at times but everybody is in the same boat.”
Robinson led Well to two finals two years ago and wants another Hampden trip. He said: “Not many remain from the squad who reached the finals in 2018 so it would be good to get a run.”
Defender Ricki Lamie is back in the side after two months out with a calf problem and he’d love to add another cup run to his CV.
He said: “The cup is massive. I experienced Hampden a few years ago with Morton when we got to the semi-finals.
“We beat Motherwell on the way and that was a great occasion. We came up against a good Aberdeen team but it was a memorable one. You always look back on these achievements and it would be great to achieve it at Motherwell.
“The club has been suc c e ss f ul i n cup competitions in the past.
“The hard work the boys put in last year got us into Europe and allowed us to bypass the cup group stage.
“So we are only a couple of games from Hampden. It’s a massive incentive.”