Boss Jim Goodwin revealed St Mirren youngster Dylan Reid will miss the next two weeks’ action to sit exams at school.

The 16-year-old midfielder became the youngest ever player to feature in the Scottish Premiership when he came on for his debut as a late substitute against Rangers at Ibrox last month and he has stayed in the squad since.

Ahead of the trip to Ross County on Wednesday night, where the Buddies will have a depleted squad, Goodwin said: “Dylan Reid has to go back to school, he is not allowed to travel.

“He is not able to train the next two weeks, he is actually back at school because he has exams coming up.

“That is a first for me.

“It is an important year for him and obviously his education is very important and it is something that we want to encourage the lads as well, so he has been given time away to complete those exams and he will join back in with the group in a couple of weeks’ time.”

An “horrendous” injury list leaves Goodwin with selection headaches, although he admits he is prioritising next Monday night’s Scottish Cup quarter-final tie against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.

He said: “I’m really struggling for bodies for the midweek game.

“We will be travelling up the road tomorrow night with about 13 or 14 outfield players.

“Not ideal but hopefully we will have enough there to go and get the job done.

“Ethan Erhahon missed out on Friday night with a hamstring strain, Wednesday will be too early.

“Collin Quaner and Eamonn Brophy are obviously just making their way back, we maybe try to rush one of them and add them to the squad.

“Ryan Flynn is out, Jake Doyle-Hayes will miss out, Marcus Fraser, Jonathan Obika felt his groin after the game and won’t be available.

“We still have a good enough squad to put a decent starting team on the park.

“It is fair to say the Scottish Cup is the priority now and that’s why the players I mentioned won’t be risked on Wednesday because we need to do our best to at least have a couple of those players available for Monday night against Kilmarnock.

“I am delighted the game has been pushed back because it gives us a couple of days extra to help those boys recover. One or two of them are serious, one or two are touch and go.”

Goodwin will serve the second of a two-game touchline ban – another one-game ban is suspended –  for criticism of referee Don Robertson following a draw against Hamilton last month.

He said: “At the end of the day I was wrong, I should have had more composure at that moment in time”.