Motherwell will face a tough test when they travel to Hampden to take on Rangers this Saturday, as they will be without up to eight key players. The team will be missing players like Sam Nicholson, who is out with a patella injury, as well as Ross Callachan, Filip Stuperavic, Shane Blaney, and Lennon Miller who are dealing with various injuries. Shane Blaney, in particular, will be out for at least four weeks due to a tear in his medial ligament.
Manager Kettlewell expressed his concern about the impact of these injuries on the team, as they are missing important first-team players. He mentioned that while they would like to bring in additional players to bolster the squad, they are working with limited resources and will have to be creative in their approach.
Despite efforts to prevent injuries through training methods, some injuries are unavoidable, according to Kettlewell. The team has been dealing with a high number of injuries during pre-season and previous seasons, which has affected their ability to field a full-strength squad. Kettlewell emphasized the importance of managing player workload to ensure they are fit for match days.
While Kettlewell is confident in the competitiveness of the current squad, he acknowledges the need for more options and depth in the team. He highlighted the challenges of balancing the squad with limited resources but remains optimistic about the team’s performance in the upcoming match against Rangers.
Overall, Motherwell will have to navigate through this challenging period with a depleted squad and focus on maximizing the potential of the available players. The team will need to rely on teamwork, strategy, and resilience to overcome the absence of key players and put up a strong performance against Rangers at Hampden.