Summer signing Unax Alvarez from St Johnstone is expected to miss the beginning of their Premier Sports Cup campaign due to an injury sustained during pre-season.
The 24-year-old winger, who joined from Deportivo Guadalajara following their relegation from Spain’s third tier, suffered an ankle injury in last week’s friendly match, where St Johnstone triumphed 4-0 over Forfar Athletic.
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Head coach Simo Valakari shared with Saints TV: “The encouraging news is that nothing is broken.
“It’s just a twisted ligament, so he will be out for a couple of weeks, unfortunately.”
In more positive news, defender Morgan Boyes and forward Louis Lloyd have a better chance of being available for the group stage opener against Linlithgow Rose on Tuesday, 14 July.
“For Louis, the good news is that his MRI results are clear, so I hope he will join team training in some capacity next week,” Valakari stated.
“Morgan Boyes is making progress as well. He has been working diligently and has already started fieldwork with our physiotherapists.
“I believe he will also participate in training next week.”
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St Johnstone continued to build momentum with a convincing 3-0 victory against League 1 side Montrose on Saturday, with Valakari praising 21-year-old goalkeeper Craig Hepburn for his performance.
“We all need to give thanks to Heppy, our goalkeeper – he was brilliant,” Valakari remarked. “He made crucial saves that kept us in the match, and that’s why we have three solid goalkeepers.”
Despite the injury setbacks, Valakari expressed confidence in the team’s “commitment, attitude, ownership, and responsibility,” stating that these qualities provide a strong foundation for success.