Lovat’s imposing international defender Callum Cruden has been hammered with a five-game ban which will keep him out of two major upcoming semi-finals.
Cruden, sent off while making a post-injury second team comeback, will miss the Black and Whites’ Artemis Macaulay Cup semi-final against Kingussie at Beauly on July 30 and the Tulloch Homes Camanachd Cup semi-final with Kyles Athletic at Fort William on August 6.
In a separate setback for the Kiltarlity club, forward Greg Matheson has his arm in a sling and is a non-starter for the Macaulay tie. He faces a race against the clock to make the Camanachd clash.
Manager Jamie Matheson said: “Callum is devastated, particularly as we feel his red card was undeserved.
“It triggered such a significant suspension for which the timing could hardly be worse.
“He’d been looking good after his injury and we were really looking forward to having him for these crucial matches.
“Making it a double blow, Greg has fractured his arm and will definitely miss the Macaulay tie. But it is in a sling and not in plaster so we reckon he has a 50-50 chance of returning for the Kyles tie.
“We’ll just have to wait and see. We’re still in the title race so we’re fighting on three fronts but we’re certainly not a two-man team and we can regroup for these big challenges.”
With Lorne MacKay’s season over as he awaits knee surgery, Lovat have not had their worries to seek yet Kingussie are the only team to beat them this season.
Meanwhile, another attacker, Lewis Tawse, is unavailable and misses Saturday’s Mowi Premiership game with Oban Camanachd at Mossfield Park.
Oban, who have kept an impressive six successive Premiership clean sheets, have their own problems for Lovat’s visit.
Manager Gareth Evans explained: “Forwards Conor Howe and Evan MacLennan are on holiday while Scott Macmillan has picked up a one-game ban for an accumulation of bookings.
“Lovat are going very well so they’ll be a test for our defensive record.”
Champions Kingussie, who beat their great rivals Newtonmore four times last season, are bidding for their third successive victory over them this year in the Badenoch derby at The Dell.
Kings have rattled in 29 goals in four games, with Roddy Young slamming 19 of them, and Owen Fraser and the visiting defence will have their work cut out.
Skipper Savio Genini returns for the home side while Calum Grant, who played 45 minutes in his comeback last weekend, is pushing for a starting spot.
Newtonmore, who lost 1-0 in the home league derby, can take heart from having forced extra time in the MacTavish Cup tie on April 16 before Genini’s winner.
Col Glen’s shock troops, fresh from their first trophy in 32 years, the Single Team Club Cup, bid to reach the Balliemore final for the first time but National Division leaders Beauly stand in their way at Ballachulish.
Conor Ross, whose hat-trick won Beauly this cup for the only time in 2015, will again figure for the Greens.
‘It’s a disaster’
Scotland star Arran MacPhee, Fort William’s outstanding performer, is out of action for the rest of the season.
The absence of the key forward is a major blow to the An Aird club’s hopes of ensuring Mowi Premiership survival.
“It’s a disaster for Arran and a disaster for the club,” said co-manager Victor Smith.
“He sustained a knee injury two weeks ago and underwent a scan this week. The medical advice is that he doesn’t play again this year.
“We’re waiting now to see if he’ll be available for the start of next season.”
MacPhee, who skippered Fort for several years until this season, came through the Scotland Under-21s to the full international side and scored in their Dublin victory in 2019.
Fort, however, welcome back wing centre Lewis Clark for the first time this season for tomorrow’s home game with Caberfeidh.
Smith said: “Lewis has been unavailable due to commitments in Glasgow but he’s now able to play for us for the rest of the season, which is a help.”
Cabers will be without Ben Macdonald, who has returned offshore and manager Jodi Gorski said: “We’re playing well enough, but our forwards, who have done so well, have gone off the boil lately.”
Fort are second bottom on three points, with the Strathpeffer men two points above them.
The only National Division fixture sees Oban Celtic, second bottom, playing host to fourth-placed Glen Urquhart, who have slipped out of the promotion race. Celts are looking to improve a strike rate of only seven goals in eight games.
