Peterhead manager Neale Cooper is desperately trying to bring in a player on loan after revealing he could be without nine first-team regulars on Saturday.
The Blue Toon have dropped to eighth place in the Second Division after their 2-0 loss at Stirling on Tuesday and the result leaves Cooper’s side just four points ahead of ninth-placed Arbroath, who visit Balmoor this weekend. Cooper said: “I had to put Cammy Bowden in for his debut on Tuesday.
“The lad did well, but he’s young and it’s unfair to put pressure on young lads like him in our current situation. I have the option of bringing in one more loan player and I am trying every contact I have. We could have as many as nine players out and I’ve never known a situation like this in my career.
“When I was at Gillingham I had 12 out once, but I had a bigger squad there.
“Here we have to run with a tight squad and it is tough for us. But Arbroath won’t be caring. They will not be interested in our hard-luck stories. They will be looking to add to our woes and haul us into the relegation play-offs.”
Cooper revealed the extent of the injury crisis.
He said: “It’s frightening, everything seems to be going against us at the moment.
“We lost Callum Macdonald after seven minutes at Stirling when he was carried off with an ankle ligament injury and then we lost Nicky Clark when he suffered the same injury and it looks as if both could be out for the rest of the season.
“David Ross possibly has a broken toe. We had to take him off at half-time.
“Barry Wilson will miss Saturday’s game as he has undergone a minor operation. Paul Emslie is out, Graeme Sharp is away on work commitments until the end of the month and Jonathan Crawford, who is suspended anyway, went over his ankle for the reserves.
“David Donald is struggling, but hopes he will make the game, while Bobby Mann’s knee is a ticking time bomb given the number of games we are playing. It is a nightmare, but we have to get on with it. We are going to have to scrap for everything.”