Peterhead boss Jim McInally will use this weekend’s SPFL Trust Trophy tie with East Fife as a chance for fringe players to impress.
The Blue Toon are on a four-game winless run just now and, as he did in the previous round against Dundee B, McInally will make changes to the team to get others game-time.
McInally is an established critic of the three substitutes rule in League One, which reduces the amount of minutes he can give to players who are not starting regularly.
However, this is a chance for players to prove they should be starting for Peterhead every week, regardless of the competition.
McInally said: “It’s a game of football and we want to win it. As everybody keeps reminding us, we’re on a bad run – we can’t do anything about it other than stop it.
“It allows us to play everybody who’s not been getting game-time and we’ll continue to do that on Saturday.
“This time the players know it’s up to them to put themselves up for a starting place. We need to see a determination to get back to winning again.
“I think we saw that determination in the last game against Dundee, but I keep harping back to the three subs rule. It’s really making life difficult. It’s easier to maintain a squad when you’re able to get them on the pitch and keep them happy.
“But I’ve not seen anything but a good attitude in their training and after a game. I feel sorry for the way it’s turned out and I can’t believe we’re in this situation (three subs rule), but the clubs didn’t vote for it, so we just have to live with it.”
Peterhead will have Alan Cook back involved in the match-day squad today after a period on the sidelines with a shin injury.
Cook had been wearing a protective boot to remedy a stress fracture, but took part in training during the week, with McInally keen to have him back.
McInally said: “When he went to see the specialist, he said it was just about a stress fracture, but there was no point in scanning it now because there was a massive difference in it.
“Putting it in the boot every day he’s basically made it better himself. He’s seen a big difference in it; it had really been bothering him when he kept getting banged on it in games or in training.
“He’s done a couple of training sessions and he’s got a long way to go. He basically needs to do a pre-season again, but it’s good to have him available again.”
The Blue Toon will be without loan trio Lyall Cameron, Danny Strachan and Josh Mulligan, who are cup-tied after playing against Peterhead for Dundee B in the previous round.
Midfielder Simon Ferry will also not be risked, after undergoing his last round of treatment on an Achilles problem. Ryan Conroy, who missed the defeat to East Fife through illness, will be back in the squad.
