Saints duo onmend

A free weekend may be no bad thing for St Johnstone, as Joe Shaughnessy and Zander Clark could have been sidelined had the Perth men been playing a game.

The pair collided in the first half of Saints’ defeat by Ross County on Saturday, with the centre-back forced off at half-time with concussion and the keeper succumbing to a back spasm in the second half.

Both are on the mend and should be available for the clash with Inverness Caledonian Thistle a week on Saturday.

“Joe was concussed and we were forced to take him off,” said manager Tommy Wright.

“The headaches have stopped but he will be monitored every day.

“It helps us not having a game this weekend. He will be fine for the Inverness match.

“Joe got up quickly and Zander was the one getting the treatment. But his condition deteriorated by half-time. When we examined him at the interval he couldn’t remember much about it.

“He was the lucky one! I’m trying to forget the goals we lost.”

Wright added: “Zander is improving.

“He was hurt in the collision with Joe and landed on his back and hip. It seems to have been a reaction. The muscles just tightened up and he was in a lot of pain.

“It wasn’t great for us losing a centre-half and then our goalkeeper at a time when we were looking to get back into the game. They aren’t the changes you want to make as a manager.

“It’s unfortunate we have no game again this weekend. But on the positive side we might have been missing Joe and Zander.”