Ross County forward Jordan White is doubtful for Thursday’s Premiership play-off first leg against Partick Thistle after suffering a head knock in the defeat to Kilmarnock.
Forward White was bandaged up following the first half collision in the 3-1 defeat and although he initially played on he was subsequently withdrawn at half-time.
Staggies boss Malky Mackay says White, who is County’s leading scorer with 11 goals this term, will be assessed in the coming days.
Mackay said: “We lost Jordan to a really bad cut on his head. He’s away to A&E now with a lot of stiches in his head. It’s right down to the bone at the moment.
“That was unfortunate, because he has been a big player for us and recently he has come into a real vein of form.
“I don’t know how that will be. It’s a bad wound. The medical people will deal with that first, and there’s a duty of care that we have to look after him no matter what, before we start anything.”
Mackay takes encouragement from the fact survival is still attainable
The defeat at Rugby Park consigned County to the play-off spot, with the Dingwall men needing to win in Ayrshire to secure automatic survival.
Mackay says the Staggies’ post-split performances give him plenty encouragement ahead of the crunch matches ahead.
He added: “We need to be as on it as we have most of the season, and be ready for everything that’s coming at us.
“In the grand scheme of things, four weeks ago we were beaten 6-1 at Tynecastle to go four points adrift at the bottom of the division.
“I don’t think anybody gave us a chance of still being in the division, so for us to come off the last game, be in a play-off and not be the bottom relegated team – I’ve got to give a real amount of credit to my team.
“We’ve got to look beyond the performance against Kilmarnock where I thought we could have been better. I look at the way they have finished this final five games, with two good wins, a very controversial loss in the last minute and a crazy game on Wednesday night.
“We have to take perspective of it, and realise the amount of effort the group have put in over the last few weeks to actually climb off the bottom and give ourselves a fighting chance of not being in the play-off position.
“After Tynecastle, if you’d said ‘I’ll give you the play-off position now’ I think most people would have been thinking we wouldn’t be there, we would be relegated.”
The Jags go into the tie in excellent form, having racked up 16 goals in their four play-off matches so far.
Mackay insists he will be preparing his players for the challenge ahead in the coming days.
He added: “Undoubtedly it’s going to be a tough game for us, Partick Thistle are playing well, and I’m sure there will be plenty people thinking we are the underdogs for the game.
“Ross County are always the underdogs for everything they do in the Premiership, so it will not be any different as far as that is concerned.
“We’ve got two legs to play to stay in the league.”
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