MacLEAN’S PLEA TO PLAY ON PLASTIC IN HANDS OF MEDICS
TOMMY WRIGHT will seek fresh medical advice before deciding whether to include Steven MacLean in the St Johnstone squad bidding to rescue their Europa League hopes.
Trailing 2-1 from last week’s home leg of the first qualifying round tie, the Perth club travel to Lithuania to face FK Trakai on an artificial pitch at the LFF Stadium.
Doctors advised MacLean against playing on plastic after knee surgery, but the 34-year-old striker’s expressed a desire to have the ban lifted in Vilnius. Manager Wright is adamant he will not take any risks with MacLean — who sits out Saints’ visits to astroturf pitches at Kilmarnock and Hamilton — and will gauge expert opinion on him being involved on a one-off occasion.
‘I’ll be taking 23 players over,’ said Wright. ‘MacLean is champing at the bit and is desperate to play.
‘But there is a bigger picture. There is a reason why he doesn’t play on plastic pitches and that reason hasn’t gone away. If next week was the first league game of the season at Kilmarnock, then he wouldn’t be playing.
‘The player wants to take the risk but it will be my decision and mine only. He can say what he wants in the papers. I see no reason, until I get medical opinion, that it wouldn’t be a risk for MacLean to play.
‘He has to remember he is 34 and if something was to happen to his knee now then you’re practically ending someone’s career. We have a couple of knocks which concern us with Brian Easton and Paul Paton. So there might be a seat for MacLean.
‘I’ve asked for more medical opinion and I’m waiting on it.’
Wright draws additional hope of a comeback from the fact Saints have produced many of their best displays away from McDiarmid Park in recent seasons. And he is optimistic the benefits of an additional week of training will be witnessed against opponents already 16 games into their domestic league campaign.
‘I’m more confident of winning the game,’ added Wright. ‘Being 2-1 down in the tie gives Trakai the advantage and they are obviously favourites.
‘But this is a squad which has gone to Aberdeen and scored five, can go to Rangers, Celtic and difficult places and get the right result.
‘Having watched the first game back a few times, we could have won it quite easily. It was a game where we created more chances than the opposition. But they did look dangerous and a threat.
‘Ultimately, they took their chances and we didn’t. We need to make sure we are ruthless when we go over there.
‘I don’t like making excuses, but this time round we should be that little bit sharper and a little bit fitter.
‘The first competitive game of the season is always important to get out of the way. It’s one players don’t really look forward to. No matter how much work you do, you always feel as if you’re trying to get your second wind.
‘We know we need to do better and that is the bottom line. We need to do better in terms of how easy it was for their goals. And up the other end of the pitch we need to be clinical.
‘It’s the old cliche that it’s only half time but they have the advantage with the two away goals.’