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12.15pm

It hasn't been good news round Fir Park way in the last week...

Firstly, we could only draw 2-2 with St Mirren in Tuesday's friendly at Love St, with our goals coming from Fagan and Craigan.  We twice took the lead in the match, almost to concede equalisers virtually straight away.

Team: Marshall, Corrigan, Craigan, Kinniburgh, Hammell, Kerr (Fagan 20), O’Donnell, Leitch, Paterson, Clarkson (Foran 75), McDonald.

Subs not used:  Corr, Wright, Fitzpatrick, Higgins.

However, the main talking point from the match is the injury sustained by new signing Brian Kerr which could keep him out until 2005.  A scan has revealed that Brian has torn his anterior crucial and medial ligaments, and there is also extensive bone damage around the joint.

Terry Butcher said on Friday:
"I am disappointed as I thought that I had made my signing in my management career at Fir Park.  However I think Brian will be an excellent Motherwell player in the future, and it is up to everyone at the club to rally round and help him through his rehabilitation."

Before the full extent of the injury was know, Kerr was quoted as saying:
"I can't believe this has happened again. I think Motherwell fans have only ever seen me on crutches because I injured myself at Fir Park a year ago.  I'm getting used to using crutches - not a good sign for a 22-year-old. It was such a daft thing.  I went to close someone down and my studs got caught, causing my left leg to stick when all my weight went the other way.  I heard a crack, then the pain came. It was really bad - worse then when I broke the bone.  The doctor hopes it's not the cruciate and says there's a chance it's not quite so bad. I'll take any positive.  It doesn't seem that long ago that I was back down in Newcastle after breaking a leg at Livi.  It's been a rotten run.  I hope it's just a bad strain and we're talking six weeks but if it's the cruciate, it's serious.

"I've spoken to the boss, Terry Butcher, and he reminded me I've come back strong from injury before and I can do it again.  But it's frustrating. This is a great move for me and you could feel the confidence in the dressing room.  Everyone has been talking about Parkhead and I admit it's been at the front of my mind.  To face Celtic on the first day of the season is fantastic but it won't happen for me now.

"I'm trying to be positive but it gets you down. My chin is a bit low at the moment.  I was on such a high then it all went wrong. I just hope that I get good news. I'm long overdue some."

Then yesterday we were defeated 2-0 by Stranraer in our final pre-season match, with the home side scoring twice in the final 15 mins for an apparently deserved win.  Oh dear.

Team: Marshall, Corrigan, Craigan, Kinniburgh, Fitzpatrick, Fagan, Leitch (Cowan 36), O’Donnell, Paterson, Clarkson (Wright 77), McDonald (Foran 61). 
Subs not used: Corr, Higgins

TB's post-match comments were as follows:
"Try to pick a positive from that! Very disappointing indeed -  Stranraer deserved to win the match so no complaints about that. I told the team what I think and we have a lot of hard work to do before next week in preparation for the game next Sunday.  We’ll get the injured ones back this week and we’ll work hard and then go from there. It would be fair to say that pre-season has not gone according to plan, having said that there enough characters and good players in the dressing room for us to have a good season.   We weren’t doing the basics at all today, you wouldn’t think that we worked hard on our passing, it just didn’t happen today but it’s worrying as it hasn’t in pre-season and we haven’t won a game in the last week. Its not gone as well as it could’ve done. We’ve had to chop and change the side throughout pre-season due to injuries but that’s no excuse we still have enough good players to win these games.

"It’s still a young team that’s got to learn and play together, I’m still optimistic and glad that pre-season is over and we can look forward to the real stuff next week. We’ve got to have a look at ourselves and make sure we start next week, if we play the way we have in pre-season we could be in for a right doing next week. "

Tickets for the SPL opener at Celtic Park next Sunday are now on sale from Fir Park, priced at a scandalous £25 for adults and £14 for juveniles.

There's an interesting Scotland on Sunday article on Chris McCart here, although you'll need to register first before you'll be able to read it.