KNEE-JERK REACTIONS Wright confirms Swanson was unavailable due to an injury
Wright was delighted with his side’s performance on Saturday St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright has confirmed Danny Swanson was absent from Saturday’s squad due to a knee injury.
The Perth midfielder spoke out about his contract situation at the club – which remains unsigned – before the weekend victory against Ross County.
His exclusion from the team-sheet in Dingwall raised a few eyebrows but Wright said: “Danny was injured, end of story. He had a problem with the ligament in his knee all week in training.
“It is something he has been bothered with before in his career. We tried it out on Friday morning and it wasn’t right.
“He will be a doubt for the weekend but I’d imagine he will be available to go to Ibrox next Wednesday.
“I don’t do the social media stuff. It’s not my scene. But just to put the record straight, he was injured. I pick the team based on whoever is fit.
“On what he said about the contract situation I reiterate what I said after the game. I don’t see anything wrong with it.
“The only demand Danny was making was that he wants to get his career sorted out and who wouldn’t in his position.
“It wasn’t negative. He put out how he feels things have gone and I can feel his frustration when I speak to him.
“I feel frustrated myself that it hasn’t been sorted, for whatever reason. But the good thing for me is that he has again made it clear he wants to stay here. That should help us.
“Danny knows the wage structure of the club and he isn’t being greedy or unreasonable. He wants his future sorted and anyone in his position would be the same. I like the fact Danny
what he feels. He has said how he sees things and the club will have a slightly differentviewpoint.ButIamstillhopeful we can get it sorted. I still want Danny here.
“The contract situation has affected him. He has a young family to think about. Footballers are human and they want to feel wanted.
“Hopefully Danny’s future will be with us. If it isn’t, then that’s just football. I will move on, St Johnstone will move on and Danny will move on.”
Murray Davidson was forced from play in the 12th minute on Saturday and Wright says the midfielder could be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
“We have a few injury concerns on our plate,”he told the PA.“Murray hurt his thigh and it doesn’t look too good. We are probably going to get him scanned. The initial assessment suggests he will be out for a few weeks.
“Graham Cummins was feeling his thigh and could be out for the Kilmarnock game as well.
“Keith Watson felt his hamstring after the game and it would be disappointing if he was out of the Killie game, especially as I thought he was outstanding after coming on for Murray. He had warmed up but maybe it is down to how quickly we had to make the substitution.
“But we have dealt with injuries before and it was a great result at Ross County missing players like Danny, Graham and Paul Paton, who was suspended. That shows the depth of the squad.
“The win has taken us three points closer to where we want to be. It was a huge win for us coming on the back of the cup defeat.
“I know people think the top five is done and dusted. It is all I hear. But we don’t have enough points yet to be in that position. We can’t relax or become complacent.
“It was an excellent team performance and keeps the gap with the teams below us and at this stage of the season it’s great to be so close to Hearts and Rangers, two clubs with budgets probably three and nine times our own.
“We are in a good position tucked in behind them.”