St Johnstone are unlikely to see David Wotherspoon in action until September or October.
And manager Callum Davidson is also preparing to have to do without Chris Kane, Tony Gallacher and Callum Booth when the new season gets up and running.
Three-time cup winner Wotherspoon is arguably Saints’ most important creative player and the former Hibs man having his campaign ended in November was a big reason for the relegation battle the McDiarmid Park side subsequently endured.
The 32-year-old’s recovery from knee surgery is still on schedule, Davidson revealed, but no short-cuts will be taken – even with a winter World Cup with Canada on the Perth legend’s radar.
David Wotherspoon taking the absolute mick out of Stephen O’Donnell 🤣 pic.twitter.com/p6jeLhjxC5
— St Johnstone F.C. News ✯✯ (@sjfcnews) August 8, 2021
“Spoony is on track but it will still be into September at least before he’s back,” said the Saints boss.
“We know he’s got the World Cup to aim for when he’s back but it will be important to make sure he’s 100% ready when he plays again.
“It’s not going to be in anyone’s interests for him to push it too early and suffer a setback so he will have to be managed properly.
“Chris Kane might be a little bit earlier than that.
“But the season will still have started before he’s fully fit and ready to play games again.
“He is doing really well with the physio and can’t wait to get playing again.
“But again he’s another one who has to be managed properly.”
Short at left wing-back
James Brown could be seeing more left wing-back action at the start of the season, it would appear.
“Tony Gallacher is the same as Kano,” Davidson reported. “He should be back once the season starts.
“And Callum Booth is another one who has an injury to overcome.
“So that’s both left-sided defenders out, which leaves us a bit short in that area for the season starting.”
St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson wants ‘4 or 5’ new signings to go straight into first team
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