Stuart Kettlewell fears new coronavirus restrictions will put the brakes on Ross County’s travel plans for Saturday’s clash at Kilmarnock.

The Staggies had originally planned to drive by coach to Rugby Park the day before the game and spend the night at the Park Hotel, a short distance from the stadium’s front door.

But with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set to introduce tighter measures in the central belt to curb the spread of the virus, Kettlewell has been forced to think again.

The Dingwall boss has now drawn up a contingency that will see County forced to make the 200-mile journey south from the Highlands just hours before kick-off.

But he insists the disruption will not be to blame if his team hit the skids against Alex Dyer’s men.

“We’re waiting for the next 24 hours to see how this pans out,” he said. “The plan now is that we’d stay over night at the Park Hotel which is right opposite Rugby Park.

“But we’re not sure if there is going to be a spanner in the works with that.

“That might not be an option due to lockdown in certain regions, so we’re waiting for a wee bit of confirmation on that.

“This is our only overnight travel we do, so it would mean leaving on Friday.

“We’ve got a Plan B up our sleeve which would mean we need to travel on the day with two bus drivers sharing the driving.

“We might also need to stop somewhere as far away as Perth for a pre-match meal, which would leave us another hour and a half away from the ground at least.

“So there are a few challenges there but whatever it is, the staff and I have a Plan A and a Plan B and we won’t make an excuse out of either of them. We’ll just have to do whatever is allowed and make best use of it.”