some injury respite as he prepares for St Johnstone’s home game against Hearts on Saturday.

Already without several players for the trip to Pittodrie on Tuesday night, Zander Clark, Callum Hendry, Melker Hallberg and Callum Booth all had to be taken off during the 1-1 draw with Aberdeen.

Boss Davidson, whose side sit bottom of the cinch Premiership, said: “From Tuesday night, Zander is probably 50-50 for tomorrow. Callum Booth is probably very similar but the rest are OK, which is obviously good news.

“Nadir (Ciftci) and Michael O’Halloran are back fit again. They have had a full week’s training so they are available for selection as well.

“So good and bad news on that front.

“We will probably assess them tomorrow. It has been difficult with the weather – the snow up here – to assess them properly. We will give them an extra day.

“Callum is an on-going groin problem, Zander is a calf but if both of them miss Saturday, I don’t expect them to miss the week after.”

Davidson also reported some positive news on Cammy MacPherson, who was out after dislocating his shoulder again.

He said: “Cammy McPherson won’t be as long as we first thought, his shoulder has managed to adjust itself back into place and there is not too much pain there.”

Chris Kane and David Wotherspoon are out for the rest of the season but on his other long-term absentees, Shaun Rooney and Craig Bryson, the McDiarmid Park manager said: “It will be a wee while yet.

“Probably looking at March time for Bryson and Rooney.”