Caley Thistle defenders Nikola Ujdur and James Carragher have been sidelined ahead of Saturday’s home showdown with Ayr United.
Australian Ujdur has not started since the 4-0 Scottish Cup win against Broomhill on January 20 due to a hamstring injury.
The 25-year-old was back on the bench for the goalless Championship draw with Airdrie last weekend, but an injury picked up in training has put him out of the running for this weekend.
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On-loan Wigan Athletic defender Carragher suffered a foot injury against the Diamonds and he is a doubt ahead of this weekend’s ninth against eighth encounter.
Manager Duncan Ferguson said: “Niko is out. He trained for a couple of days, but has injured his hamstring once more.
“All the long-termers are still out. No one is close. Sean McAllister will be another four-to-six weeks (with a thigh injury).
“James Carragher has not trained all week. He has got a bruised foot, but we are hopeful he will make it for Saturday.
“He got a bad knock against Airdrie. There was nothing done about it (by referee Calum Scott), but there you go.”
Manager’s son could still score deal
A hamstring injury also keeps out winger Nathan Shaw, while knee issues affect defender Lewis Nicolson, and midfielders Charlie Gilmour and Luis Longstaff.
A foot injury means midfielder Roddy MacGregor is also out, while forward Harry Lodovica is recovering from a long-term ankle injury.
As revealed last week, Ferguson confirmed he might still offer his free agent son Cameron a contract as he looks to bolster numbers for the final eight fixtures.
The 20-year-old has been training with ICT over the past month after leaving Newcastle United, having spent time on loan at League Two side Forfar Athletic.
The manager said: “Cameron is on my mind (for a contract) because of the low numbers within the squad.”
Chance remains for trialist striker
Ferguson is also hoping another trialist forward could be in contention for a deal, but says he needs to shake off an injury in order to be assessed.
He added: “We’re still looking at a player who had come from a team in England, but had been out in the Czech Republic. Unfortunately, he is still injured. He’s a 10, a striker, who plays off the sides. He is a good forward player.
“He only trained for a couple of days. He was not available for the bounce game on Tuesday.
“We are no further forward because we can’t sign a player who is injured.
“The signing deadline is the end of this month, so we still have a wee bit of time. He needs to get on the training field and prove his fitness before we can offer him a contract.”
Injury-hit ICT ‘remain competitive’
Inverness are on a run of five games unbeaten, but four draws have kept them one point behind eighth-placed weekend visitors Ayr.
ICT are also just six points adrift of fourth-placed Morton, having played one game fewer than the Ton.
Ferguson feels his players deserve credit for remaining in the chase, despite injuries taking their toll.
He said: “Our form is alright, but we have not moved from ninth position because we have not picked up wins. Saturday is a big one for us.
“I have not seen a league like it. Getting three points is massive for any team.
“Although we have a horrendous injury list, we are still competitive. We still have good players and we’re looking forward to the game on Saturday. We want to win the game.”
