Caley Thistle interim manager Neil McCann is confident he has players capable of stepping up if Scott Allardice and Brad Mckay miss tomorrow’s trip to Hearts through suspension.
Inverness are awaiting the verdicts of appeals submitted against the red cards shown to both Allardice and Mckay in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Dundee.
McCann does not expect to learn the outcomes until this evening, which has forced him to prepare to face the Jambos with and without the pair.
Kevin McHattie and Cameron Harper are among the defensive options who could be drafted in should Mckay miss out, while James Vincent and Roddy MacGregor could cover in midfield should Allardice be absent.
McCann is pleased with the options at his disposal, and he said: “It’s a decision that might be taken out of our hands, in terms of being forced upon us, but we’ve got a really strong squad just now.
“There are guys pushing for a starting place. Should we need to make changes to the team, be it back four, midfield or up front, we’ve got guys desperate to get into the group.
“We are always searching for a group of players that bear no animosity or ill feeling to a guy that has taken their jersey. We all know this will take a team effort to get us to where we want to go.
“We have given ourselves a more difficult task, but I have full confidence, if we need somebody to step in, those guys will step in and be ready to do us a right turn.”
Although McCann still retains hope of having Allardice and Mckay available for the trip to Tynecastle, he says the lack of time to process today’s verdict will make his preparation less than ideal.
McCann added: “We will just await the hearing now, and hopefully the panel can see what we are going for. They were never red cards.
“I don’t know if I’m going to have one, two or neither of those players, which means I have to prepare a team three different ways.
“That’s wrong, and it doesn’t allow me and our team proper preparation time.
“I’m upset with that, but I will prepare as professionally as I can do. Hopefully if we get the right outcome that preparation won’t be wasted.
“It’s another tough blow we have had to take, and it’s not ideal, but we have been asked many difficult questions in recent times and we have answered those.”
Although Daniel MacKay’s opener was quickly cancelled out by Lee Ashcroft, McCann was heartened by his side’s intent to take three points against the Dark Blues even with nine men.
He added: “We held enough attacking threat and a bit of grit, we weren’t just going to sit in and try and play for a draw. We wanted to win the game, which is how the side is built mentally just now.
“The only disappointment is we couldn’t hold out long enough. We’ve seen before that you can be at your most vulnerable after you score, but when you’re down to eight outfield players it’s a bit harder.
🔥 8th goal of the season for @DanielMackay27 last night! pic.twitter.com/sGmznPczFd
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) April 21, 2021
“I can’t be too critical of them, there’s a large degree of pride to keep that unbeaten run of nine league games going.
“In such a good division, that’s a really good testament to how far we have come.”
