Raith boss Gary Locke is hoping the knee injury suffered by Kevin McHattie during Tuesday night’s friendly with Forfar is not as bad as first feared.
The full-back had to be carried off in the 68th minute of the game after being involved in an awkward challenge with the home side’s Kerr Hay and he left Station Park on crutches.
It was McHattie’s first game for Rovers after joining the club from Kilmarnock and while he looks certain to miss Saturday’s trip to play Brechin, Locke is keeping his fingers crossed he will not be absent for much longer.
The manager said: “Hopefully Kevin’s knee will settle down in the next 24 hours but he is highly doubtful for the weekend.
“Mark Stewart also picked up a thigh strain against Forfar and like Kevin, he will most likely sit out the Brechin match.”
Meanwhile, Locke has revealed that former Raith managers Grant Murray and John McGlynn helped convince him to apply to become Ray McKinnon’s successor in the Stark’s Park hotseat.
Locke, of course, knew the pair well from their time at Hearts together although he was keen to stress that unlike McGlynn who famously painted the changing-rooms and boot-room at Stark’s Park, he will be leaving the DIY to others.
He said: “I spoke to John, I spoke to Grant, I spoke to all the lads that I know well who have been here.
“That was the reason why I put myself in for the job, because I had heard a lot of good things about the club.
“So far, all the people – even behind the scenes – have been great and everybody wants the same thing, which is for Raith to be successful.
“If you’ve got that at a football club, you have half a chance.
“I’ll not be doing the things John did – I’m not a great painter!
“They tell me he did up the boot-room and things like that. When he was at Hearts, he told me all that.
“Luckily for me, John’s done all the work off the pitch so I don’t have to do any of that.
“John’s a plumber to trade and he was great for this club. Speaking to people behind the scenes, they hold him in high regard – as I do.
“Hopefully, I can just worry about the team and not the painting!”
