St Johnstone ready to embrace busy December

Saints face seven Premiership games before the end of the year, starting with the visit of Kilmarnock on Saturday.

Published 1st Dec 2017
Last updated 1st Dec 2017

St Johnstone are ready to embrace a busy December, according to manager Tommy Wright.

The Perth side played only two fixtures in November due to the international break and because their game against Motherwell was rearranged after the Steelmen reached the Betfred Cup final.

However, Wright's side, sitting in sixth place, now face seven Ladbrokes Premiership games before the end of the year, starting with the visit of Kilmarnock on Saturday.

The Northern Irish manager, who confirmed 20-year-old right Aaron Comrie will be out until January with a hamstring and tendon injury, said: “It is a big month for everybody, no matter where you are in the table.

“There are a lot of points to play for and quite easily teams at the bottom can get themselves well up the table and mid-table teams can push on toward the top end of the table.

“It seems strange that we have had only two games this month and then have so many games but that's the way it is and we will enjoy that.

“Players want to play matches - they want to play competitive games - and to have so many games in a short space of time is good.

“Of those seven games we have four at home and it will be important to do well in every one of them, starting with Killie.

“Since Steve Clarke has come in they have probably been better on the road, they have had great results at Rangers and Celtic, and also drew at Dundee so it is going to be a difficult game.”

Comrie came off in the 2-1 win at Hibernian and Wright does not expect to see him back until the new year.

He said: “We had it scanned as it was quite a bad one. The earliest we can see him back is January.

“I would be very surprised if he is back before the end of the winter break.

“It is a tendon as well as a hamstring which is quite rare. We will get him back as soon as we can.