Accies without 10 players but Rice tells decimated squad not to fear Celtic clash
Brian Rice will tell his decimated Hamilton squad not to dread their Premiership clash with Celtic today.
The Accies boss will now be without ten players through either injury or Covid- 19 issues for the visit of Neil Lennon’s men following confirmation that goalkeeper Ryan Fulton will be out with a groin injurypicke du pin Wednesday night's home defeat by Livingston. Asked what the message to his available players will be, as they prepare to host a Celtic side who have returned to form, Rice said:" Let's look forward to it, start getting prepared, let's get a game plan, stick to the game plan and give it everything you've got.
"Don' t dread it, nobody expects anything from you, you are the underdogs, give it your best shot." Rice said Fulton’s absence is a "massive blow" while he bemoaned a disproportionate deficit of options at the other end of the pitch. He said: "Ryan has a groin injury and will be out at least two to three weeks. That is the concerning thing for me. Every time we get an injury it is a period of time. We just have to get on with it and make the best of a bad situation.
"A club like us missing ten players, that' s half my squad and seven or eight are normal starters and most of them are attacking players.
"Nathan Thomas, Lewis Smith, Ross Callachan, Marios Ogkmpoe - all the players who get us up the pitch are unavailable so it makes it very difficult for us. It is very difficult playing against Celtic with your full squad but we have to go in with a positive frame of mind, look forward to it.”