SOLIDATTHEBACK
BOSS SAYS DUNNE CAN REPLACE INJURED MCCARTHY
Saints boss Jim Goodwin admits it’s a massive blow to lose Conor McCarthy to injury ahead of a packed winter card.
But he
a newspaper insists he has one of the best defenders in the league ready to step into his place in the form of former Motherwell man Charles Dunne.
Ireland Under-21 star McCarthy hobbled off against Livingston after landing awkwardly on his ankle following a routine challenge, with Dunne replacing him off the bench.
Now Goodwin looks set to thrust Dunne, himself only just recovering from a hamstring tweak, into the thick of the action, starting with this weekend’s trip to Tynecastle to take on Hearts.
Robbie Neilson’s men remain undefeated in Gorgie so far this season and smashed five past Dundee United in their last home fixture.
Goodwin believes Dunne is more than capable of standing up to the physical challenge when St Mirren travel along the M8 tomorrow.
“Unfortunately Conor’s results from the scan weren’t great,” Goodwin said.
“He’s due to see a specialist and there’s a possibility we’ll need to get him in for an operation next week.
“He landed very awkwardly on his left ankle. It’s not something that’s going to keep him out for three or four months, but I would imagine it’ll be more like six to eight weeks, which takes us into the new year.
“Conor has been a massive player for us. He’s been very consistent from day one and he will be a big loss to the team.
“Dunne came on against Livingston and I thought he was excellent. Thankfully we’ve got a very good replacement for
Conor in him.
“Physically I think Charles is one of the most outstanding centre-backs in the Premiership in terms of his all-round profile.
“6 foot 3, rapid. He’s one of the quickest defenders in the league, there’s no doubt about that. Techinically on the ball he’s very, very good as well.
“His issues have been staying fit. He started the season playing very well, then picked up a hamstring knock and found himself on the sidelines because the three lads that have been playing have been very consistent.
“He’s had to be patient but came on against Livi and was excellent. We’re very lucky to have him. He’s got a wealth of experience and all the ability in the world.”
St Mirren and Hearts are both currently struggling to get over the winning line, with the pair picking up just one victory in their last five and six games respectively.
Goodwin is determined to replicate the Buddies’ hot streak in October that saw them shoot up the Premiership table, starting with a win in the capital.
He said: “Hearts are a big club and the level of expectation is pretty high, especially after the start they had when they were challenging up at the top of the table with Rangers and Celtic.
“One win from their last six games probably isn’t good enough for the squad they have, by Robbie’s own admission, and the Hearts faithful will be demanding a reaction.
“It’s imperative that we start putting three points at a time on the board. We saw the benefit of that in October when we won three on the spin and it catapulted us up the league.
“We have a busy period coming up and we want to close the gap between ourselves and the clubs in fourth andfifth place.”
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