John Hughes willing to call on Kevin McCann as injuries mount

The Easter Road gaffer has been hit with a host of problems in recent weeks and will lose defender Sol Bamba to a three-match suspension after today's match at Celtic.

With Chris Hogg struggling with a back problem and David Wotherspoon having only trained twice this week after suffering an injury himself, McCann may find himself drafted in as cover.

The young right-back has started just two first-team matches in the last couple of years following an injury nightmare that saw him ruled out first by a serious knee problem, which required surgery, and then a series of niggling injuries, including one to the knuckle of his toe during a friendly match against Newcastle.

However, he played in an hour-long bounce match at Easter Road on Thursday and appears to have come through unscathed.

While Hughes admits that, in an ideal situation, McCann needs more games under his belt before a first-team return, he conceded: "Kevin played in the bounce game and did well but he needs to get some football under his belt now. It's been a frustrating time because, from his point of view, that's another season gone for him. Kevin has been through a lengthy injury before and we know that he needs games, because it's all right doing work with the physio or in training but only hard, physical games get you to where you want to be.

"He may well have to be ready to play, though, because we have got five difficult games to go and we are down to the bare bones in terms of the players available.

"If he's needed then I know that he will be desperate to play and he will do a job for us."