Motherwell injury optimism grows over trio as 'lethal finisher' begins to accelerate after summer transfer

Alfred Johansson hopes the return of three senior players to his Motherwell squad can aid their pursuit of a much-needed win.

Club captain Paul McGinn and striker Callum Hendry are poised to make a matchday list for the first time this season against St Mirren on Saturday, while midfielder Oscar Priestman could also make his comeback, following two months out. Johansson’s side painfully conceded a last-minute goal to draw 2-2 at St Johnstone midweek but it did buck a five-game Premiership losing run prior to this weekend’s key Buddies clash.

He said: "All of these names will be assessed but it looks like Oscar Priestman, Callum Hendry and Paul McGinn could be available for selection if everything goes well. Oscar Priestman, he definitely has more victories than losses under his belt this season, so I would say that he's been a pretty important player for the team.

What is Motherwell’s injury latest?

"So that's obviously a big thing for us, and the two other players that we mentioned, you just have to look at their track record and their careers to understand the quality they have. Of course, we have to understand the context of them being available for selection, they don't have many minutes in them and it's going to be a question now over the coming month probably to build them up in terms of game time. So we don't get all overexcited here now thinking that they're going to start games very soon."

Jardell Kanga is one player Swedish boss Johansson brought to the club during the summer transfer window after form at Finnish outfit Ilves. A youth international for Sweden, Johansson watched plenty of the attack-minded ace prior to his Fir Park switch, and Kanga scored a second half stoppage time leveller last time out against St Mirren. Kanga has been a sub in the last five matches but another strong performance from the bench versus St Johnstone has his manager optimistic.

Johansson said: “I think what we see now physically in the data is also that he's adapting now to the physicality of the league. So it was pleasing on Wednesday to see that he could keep the intensity up for 45 minutes. He has a huge potential but he also needs to arrive to a point where he can do that consistently as a starting player, obviously. So it's just a part of his progress and he's doing well at the moment. It's pleasing.

“He has a lot of intensity in his movement, his explosive movement. He has a good technical ability. He is a lethal finisher. And the more he can understand the way we play, the more often he can be in the right position at the right time, the more impact he'll have in our games."

Seb Palmer-Houlden during a Motherwell press conference at Fir Park | SNS Group

Seb Palmer-Houlden on signing for Motherwell

Seb Palmer-Houlden is another attacking option for Johansson after his summer switch to Fir Park from Gillingham. The former Dundee striker said ahead of the St Mirren test: “I am loving it and I just want to play as many games as possible. “The manager is helping me massively with my game.

“He is working on my movement and also the dark arts of being a striker. He trusts me, he gives me confidence and I want to repay him. I feel like the manager is bringing my game on massively and I have really enjoyed it.”