Loss of star midfielder is major blow for ‘Well before Jambos clash

KEITH Lasley is expected to be missing from the Motherwell team for up to two months after being stretchered off with a knee injury in last Saturday’s vital 1-0 victory at Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

He will see a specialist this week, but manager Maurice Malpas believes that the influential midfielder has damaged his medial ligament and cartilage.

The manager said: “It’s difficult to tell at the moment because there’s still a fair bit of swelling and spasm, but we think he’s looking at six to eight weeks out, and it’s a real shame as he’s been excellent since coming back to the club in August.”

A last-minute Richie Foran penalty, awarded when Scott McDonald was brought down by home captain Darren Dods, gave Motherwell their crucial win at Inverness, which moves them up to a season-high ninth place.

Malpas is planning to welcome another couple of trialists to Fir Park next week, after assessing Shelbourne striker Richie Baker.

He said: “He worked hard, but it was hard for him as he was here in the world’s worst weather week and it was difficult to train, but we can’t do anything until the transfer window opens anyway and he has a couple of other options.”

This Saturday sees Motherwell travel to play Hearts, without striker Calum Elliot under the terms of his loan from the Tynecastle side but Stephen Craigan will return to training after suffering a tight hamstring towards the end of the Inverness game, while defensive partner Mark Reynolds is expected to recover from a calf knock.

Malpas said: “It will be a difficult game, but when we played them earlier in the season that was probably one of the games where we played for the full 90 minutes at a decent standard.”