Lasley calls for club to sign up any survivors
KEITH LASLEY, the Motherwell captain, hopes the club will reward their out-of-contract stars if they secure Premiership safety.
The veteran midfielder is one of a handful of Fir Park first-team faces who are entering the final few months of their current deals as Mark McGhee’s team edge further away from the threat of relegation. With just three games left before the split, Motherwell sit sixth in the top-flight table knowing a victory over high-flying Dundee could put them five points clear of Dundee.
Securing a top-six berth would help speed up Motherwell’s preparations for next season, including what players will be getting kept on for the new campaign. And even though Lasley admits his own personal situation is not his priority, he did say: “I don’t think any of us will be knocking the manager’s door down.
“As a player you want to know what’s happening next year but from a club point of view, the club has to be safe in the division.
“If we deliver on the park, hopefully the club will deliver off the park.”
Lasley added: “We are all focusing that we are in this division next season. The sole aim is that we are not involved in a scrap at the end of the season.”
Lasley hobbled out of Fir Park on crutches last Friday following a hefty challenge in the 2-1 victory over Dundee United, leaving the Motherwell captain a major doubt for today’s visit of Derek McInnes’ men.
However, a bizarre set of circumstances have since overtaken the midfielder’s injury worries.
Earlier this week a flu virus floored the club’s Under-20s. It led Mark McGhee to ‘lock down’ Fir Park on Wednesday as the bug showed signs of infiltrating his first-team dressing room.
Motherwell confirmed yesterday enough players reported for training on Friday to have the game on, but it could mean their battle-scarred captain is thrown back into the mix to help pull his troops through.
“I’m one of the ones not coughing and spluttering,” said Lasley. “It was strange with the amount of bodies down.
“If we keep losing players I might be forced to play anyway with my crutches.
“We will wait until the last minute.”