By Kyle Gunn
Stephen Robinson says Keanu Baccus will start today’s Premier Sports Cup dead rubber against FC Edinburgh.
Saints have already been knocked out of the cup after disappointing defeats and performances against Arbroath and Airdrie.
Baccus has been signed up from Western Sydney Wanderers for a few weeks but only arrived in Scotland on Monday after a long wait for his visa.
Robinson also confirmed Eamonn Brophy will lead the line with a view to improving his fitness ahead of next weekend’s league opener at home to Motherwell.
He said: “We spoke after the game and we’re honest in our appraisals as a group of boys.
We’ve got four or five starters back with Eamonn Brophy and Keanu Baccus will start.
“So will Brophy. We’ve got boys who will be part of it like (Curtis) Main maybe being on the bench.
“It’s now time to get down to business and make sure we’re ready to go for the season.
“(Greg) Kiltie won’t be available with suspension and Alex Greive has got a slight niggle.
“If it was a game that really mattered to us we’d probably play him. But we’ll make sure everyone is ready to go.
“We’ll be a strong team.
“(Scott) Tanser won’t be fit but we’re looking for the team to perform for 45 or 60 then put on young players like Dylan Reid and Fraser Taylor who have been very good in pre-season.
“We have to play like we will in our first leaguegame. We need to get into the feet earlier and play from there with an energy and set our press where we want to play it.”
Robinson is delighted to still have Reid at his disposal after the teenager turned down a move to Celtic.
And if he continues to develop in Paisley his manager believes he’ll improve and go on to bigger and better things.
The St Mirren boss added: “It was not a surprise to me. His mum and advisors have their heads screwed on and know what they are doing.
“If you look at St Mirren and myself as a manager then I play young players if they are ready.
“That’s up to Dylan to be ready. Look at Ethan Erhahon he is 21 and played over 100 games.
“You have Jay Henderson and Kieran Offord involved, Lewis Jamieson and Fraser Taylor. You have a lot of young, young boys. It doesn’t guarantee him first-team football – that’s up to Dylan.
“If you go to some of the bigger clubs they are under a lot more pressure instantly and you maybe don’t get and chance to develop.
“We work with Dylan every day.
“He has trained every day with me since I came in as have all the young players.
“Players need a platform to play and if you are training with the first team every day then you get that opportunity to impress.
“And I don’t think he will get that chance at the bigger clubs at this stage.”
