| Right now, all that could dash his hopes are the condition of defenders Garry Kenneth and Mihael Kovacevic as well as any further mishap striker Warren Feeney suffers while on international duty.
Kenneth was excused from training all last week in a bid to clear the niggling knee injury that has been troubling him and didn’t train today, while Kovacevic’s involvement hinges on medical opinion and the mask that’s been made to protect his cracked cheekbone.
“Garry’s had a rest and, hopefully, that will do the trick. We even sent him for a scan last Wednesday just as a precaution, but we do not think there is anything too serious with his knee and, if he can get a few days training, he should be OK,” said Craig.
“With Mihael, we will be guided by what the doc says. The mask should be ready now and it is just a case of when it’s felt it is safe enough for him to play, but at least he should be able to do most of the training.”
With Rangers’ Kyle Lafferty fit and restored to the starting line-up, Feeney did not get on in Northern Ireland’s 2-0 defeat in Slovenia on Saturday evening.
The need for goals against San Marino in Belfast on Wednesday could see him involved, and United are keeping fingers crossed there will be no repeat of last month’s mishap when he picked up an ankle strain against the Czech Republic and was sidelined for several weeks.
“He’ll be coming back on Thursday and we’ll see how he is, but this week he is the only one who is away, so that gives us the chance to put some work in,” added Craig. |
