St Mirren will be without Paul Nsio for the Dundee match after the forward was struck by a virus this week, manager Craig McLeish confirmed today.
Nsio had returned to training yesterday after recovering enough to get back on the pitch, but McLeish said he is still not fully over the illness. With St Mirren facing three games in the next week, the club has opted not to include him for today’s fixture and expects him back around next week.
Busy week for St Mirren
The absence is another small setback for a St Mirren side trying to steady itself after a difficult run. McLeish said the team did not get too carried away during its strong start to the season, and the same approach is needed now that results have become harder to come by.
“We need to stick together through this difficult period and believe in what we are doing,” McLeish said, adding that even in the Aberdeen game there were positives to take. He also stressed the importance of the coming stretch, saying the club has three matches in the next week and needs positive results from that run.
McLeish was also clear about the challenge Dundee will present. He described them as a well-coached, well-organised side and pointed to their performance against Rangers as evidence of their quality. He added that he knows Steven Pressley well from both playing with him and working under him, which has given him an added appreciation for Dundee’s structure.
St Mirren will therefore go into the game needing to manage both the fixture load and the short-term squad issue around Nsio. McLeish said the conditions will affect both sides, but his team must adapt, stick to the gameplan and keep moving forward through a demanding period.
