Dunfermline are hopeful for the return of two key players in time for Friday’s clash with Partick Thistle.
The East End Park side have been plagued by injuries this season and were again without the services of eight first-team regulars for Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Arbroath.
But boss James McPake is optimistic that midfielder Matty Todd and striker Alex Jakubiak will both be added to his squad for the trip to Firhill.
Todd has been sidelined with a hamstring problem since the stalemate with Arbroath in December and has only managed six starts all season due to injury.
The influential 22-year-old’s drive and energy in attack have been sorely missed by the Pars this term.
Jakubiak has also been out of action due to a hamstring issue, which he picked up in the 2-1 loss to Queen’s Park on January 5.
The former Dundee striker broke his duck for the Fifers just two games previously, in the 2-2 draw with Ayr United, but has subsequently missed six weeks with the injury.
Both will be welcome additions to McPake’s squad as Dunfermline seek a first win in 10 league games following a dire run that has seen them fall to second bottom in the Championship.
Tactical alteration by James McPake
Meanwhile, McPake has explained the thinking behind his switch to a back four for the meeting with Arbroath.
The Pars boss has steadfastly stuck to a three-man rearguard this season, despite being without his first-choice trio of Kyle Benedictus, Sam Fisher and Rhys Breen for much of the campaign.
He has pressed the versatile Chris Hamilton and Ewan Otoo into action as defenders, but that has deprived the midfield of their added bite.
It has been a difficult balancing act for McPake as he has tried to nurse his team through an injury-afflicted campaign.
But, after eight games without a win and following the loss of eight goals in the previous two matches, he changed tactic at the weekend.
Aaron Comrie and Josh Edwards were deployed as orthodox full-backs, with on-loan Cardiff City pair Xavier Benjamin and goal-scorer Malachi Fagan-Walcott slotted in between as centre-halves.
Benjamin was substituted at half-time due to worries over his first-half booking, resulting in Hamilton moving back into defence for the second 45 minutes.
But the flat four was retained throughout the 90 minutes and the frustration was that Arbroath’s equaliser came directly from a corner.
McPake explained: “The goals [against Morton and Queen’s Park] were obviously concerning, but the performances as well.
System ‘worked pretty well’ for DAFC
“Many a time last year, we did the opposite – we went from a back four to a back three in certain games.
“This year, we had stuck with it, but maybe with the personnel we’ve got at the minute [it needed to change].
“We’re sticking to a system and when you concede eight goals in two games you know something drastically needs to change in the shape or personnel.
“We changed it and the players worked really hard all week on the shape, which I think they know anyway, because they’ve played it often enough.
“I thought, on the whole, the system worked pretty well.”
