Wallace Duffy is keen to make up for lost time and play his part in an extended Premier Sports Cup run with Caley Thistle.
Despite feeling fit, a head knock sustained the previous week meant the defender watched the unbeaten Highlanders crush Cove Rangers 4-1 before crashing to a 4-1 defeat at Partick Thistle.
He was back in the line-up on Saturday and was unlucky to concede the late spot-kick, from which Morton secured a 1-0 league win at the Caledonian Stadium.
The 23-year-old former Celtic youth and St Johnstone player is relishing the chance to close out Premiership hosts Motherwell in the League Cup, but admits kicking his heels from the sidelines was no fun.
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He said: “I had a hamstring problem at the start of the season, and I stayed out a little bit longer to make sure it didn’t recur.
“I went on a good run, then I got a head knock and with the guidelines I had to sit out a week even though I was fit enough to play.
“It was tough obviously, because I didn’t know about the guidelines.
“I thought it might just be 48 hours, but it was a precaution. I got told on the Monday and I had a week to get my head around not playing that week.
“The boys went out and battered Cove, so obviously we kept the same team against Partick. I had no worries about that.
“Hopefully after Saturday, I can get on another run again.”
Injuries testing defensive line at ICT
And Duffy, who can play right-back or centre half, appreciates missing injured duo Danny Devine and Max Ram has put pressure on the back-line.
He said: “We’ve not had much luck this season to be honest.
“We are pretty thin with Danny and Max being out, and then me too.
“There’s not much room for error, so it hasn’t been brilliant.”
Duffy keen for ICT to make statement
Saturday’s league game at Raith Rovers is on ice and the focus is now on trying to knock out Motherwell, whose new boss Steven Hammell has just brought winger Rolando Aaron back to the club.
Hammell won his first two matches in charge, but suffered a set-back with a 2-1 loss at Kilmarnock at the weekend.
ICT, who sailed unbeaten through the group stages of the League Cup, have designs on going deep in the competition they lost in the final of against Aberdeen in 2014.
And he sees no reason why the Caley Jags cannot remind people how capable they are.
He added: “It’s an opportunity to go and make a statement against a Premiership team.
“They had a tough start to the season, but they’ve come on under a new manager.
“I relish it to be honest, we’re at their ground so hopefully we’ll have a good support and a good result.
“We’re undefeated in the League Cup.
“We faced Livi at their ground and won there.
“There’s not too much pressure on us, we’ll be the underdogs.”
Old Firm dream lies beyond Fir Park
While playing away to Motherwell is a big test, Duffy hopes they can come back up the road with a win and a chance of an even bigger opponent in round three.
He said: “Inverness do enjoy a good cup run.
“It’s not just that we want to win the league, everyone wants to be involved in a good cup run and maybe pull Celtic or Rangers, or get through to the finals.
“That way the big games keep on coming.”
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