Caley Thistle could gain a January boost with a return to action for experienced midfielder Aaron Doran.
The 32-year-old Irishman, who has been with ICT since 2011, has been sidelined for three months with a hamstring injury.
Manager Duncan Ferguson played Doran in his first game in charge – a 3-2 victory at Arbroath on September 30.
Doran scored the second goal that day but was taken off the next week in the 0-0 home draw against Partick Thistle, who host ICT this weekend.
Doran netted in manager’s first game
Ferguson was glad to report Doran’s return has moved a step closer has he was back on the training pitch.
He said: “We put Aaron in right away against Arbroath. We changed his position from the wing to inside and he managed to score at Gayfield with a good run across the front post.
“He will be an asset to us when he gets himself fit. He’s had a bad hamstring injury, but he’s doing modified training on the grass, which is nice to see.
“He’s not involved in any of the small-sided games yet.
“He just needs to get himself fit. It will maybe take him a couple of weeks to get himself back in with the main group.”
Forward Samuels is also on way back
Striker Austin Samuels is at the jogging stage in his early bid from injury, which has kept him out also since that Partick match, while defender Danny Devine is aiming to shake off a thigh problem.
Jake Davidson is expected to get the nod at right-back, with a calf strain keeping Wallace Duffy out, with David Carson unavailable for Firhill.
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Back-to-back 2-1 losses against Morton and Arbroath last week nudged ICT closer to the foot of the table, yet they are just five points away from fourth-placed Dunfermline.
‘Five days is a lifetime in football’
Third-placed Partick, who won 2-1 at Dunfermline on Saturday, are in strong form, so Ferguson is wary of their threats.
He said: “It will be a tough match. Partick are a very good team, who have won five of their last six games, but we’re looking forward to it.
“We’re coming off the back of two defeats, so we need to try and get some kind of result down there.
“Last week, we had a bad five days.
“We had a good few months, but five days in football is a lifetime.
“We have come away with a couple of defeats against teams who were below us in the league, but we can bounce back, and the boys have looked good this week.”
Boss aiming for Firhill clean sheet
When Thistle came to the Caledonian Stadium in October, they were scoring goals for fun, but ICT halted their charge with a scoreless draw.
Ferguson wants a repeat of that shut-out with the addition of a goal or more at the other end.
He added: “I would take that again.
“If you keep clean sheets, you don’t have to do a lot to score and win the game, or you at least take a point. We need to ensure we don’t concede.
“Partick Thistle is the only game we’ve not scored in since I came here, so we’re scoring plenty of goals. It’s just a case of trying to keep them out.
“It will be tough though – Partick are a top outfit. But we will push them all the way and hopefully we can get a result.”
