ST JOHNSTONE may have lost 1-0 against Norwich City yesterday to a hotly-contested goal in a closed-doors game, but the Perth team will still be heading to the luxurious surroundings of the Crieff Hydro today for a well-earned spot of rest and relaxation, writes Neil Robertson.

The break’s all part of a big pat on the back from their manager Derek McInnes, who has been impressed by the hard graft his side have put in on the training ground in preparation for their long-awaited return to the SPL.

“The guys have worked extremely well in pre- season so, when the people at Crieff Hydro kindly invited us to go along to sample their facilities, we thought it was a perfect opportunity to reward the players and to enjoy a bit of team bonding—without alcohol,” said McInnes.

“It will give the players a chance to relax in a nice environment away from football for a while.”

However, one player will be taking it easier than most—striker Andy Jackson.

The 21-year-old has endured a miserable time through illness and injury since joining the Saints, with his latest setback coming earlier this month when he had to miss the team’s training week in Warwickshire following the recurrence of a bowel complaint.

The club are now awaiting news on a potentially-serious knee injury.

“Andy was supposed to be playing against Norwich, but he turned up yesterday with a bit of swelling on his knee and we fear he’s strained his lateral ligaments,” said McInnes. “So we’re getting him scanned just to make sure everything’s all right.”

Meanwhile, McInnes admitted that he’d like to add to the striking options at his disposal but, at the moment, there is still a deal of uncertainty whether former Saint Filipe Morais can fit the bill.

“Filipe is a player I’d definitely like to sign,” confirmed McInnes.

“I’ve worked him before at Millwall, I’ve played with him at St Johnstone and he provides another option in a wider area for us.

“But we’re still a long way from an agreement. He’s been training with us, but has one or two other irons in the fire, so we’ll just have to see how things progress.”