Courier Sport previews Saturday’s clash between St Johnstone and Aberdeen, the winner of which can expect to claim a place in the Premiership’s top six.
St Johnstone team news
It’s one midfielder in and one midfielder out.
Cammy MacPherson is sidelined with a thigh injury, while Murray Davidson returns from suspension.
New signing Daniel Phillips is expected to make his first start.
Aberdeen team news
Matty Kennedy, Hayden Coulson and Connor Barron will all miss out through injury, while Liverpool loan midfielder Leighton Clarkson is a doubt.
Left-back Jack MacKenzie is available.
Form guide
It’s identical. Both have three points after winning their second game of the season and losing the ones either side of it
Head to head record
Saints have only won one of the last 10 clashes between these teams at McDiarmid Park.
That was the most recent one (against a shadow Aberdeen side) which meant they wouldn’t be bottom of the Premiership.
The full Saints record in that time is – one win, four draws and five defeats.
Likely formations
St Johnstone – 3-4-2-1
Aberdeen – 4-2-3-1
Key battle
For St Johnstone to become more of an attacking threat they need to get their wing-backs on the ball much higher up the pitch than in their last home game against Hibs.
Drey Wright is the senior of the two players in those positions and has been in better form than Adam Montgomery.
With Coulson likely to be out and Liam Scales underwhelming as a makeshift left-back in Aberdeen’s defeat to Motherwell last Saturday, Wright is likely to be up against, MacKenzie, a man making his first Premiership start of the campaign.
Wright’s running power, aided by Graham Carey’s guile, could make this a game-defining area of the pitch for Saints.
Callum Davidson pre-match
“I’ve watched Aberdeen a few times. They’re a really attacking team.
“They try to get their full-backs really high and their wingers inside.
“We need to defend properly but, on the flip side, we’re at home and we have to apply pressure on them in the final third.”
Jim Goodwin pre-match
“The reaction from the players this week has been exceptional, it really has.
“We spoke about the (Motherwell) game on Monday morning for half an hour, we were all in agreement that it wasn’t acceptable, that we need to raise the level of performance again and get back to what it was against St Mirren the previous week.
“St Johnstone are very much a counter-attacking team, very organised defensively and look to hit you on the break. We have to be prepared for that, and we are.”
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