Keanu Baccus admits it's hard to stay focused with a potential World Cup trip and transfer speculation swirling around his head.
But he's determined to stay grounded and help St Mirren bounce straight back from their disappointing journey to Leith that failed to yield a single point.
The Buddies midfielder is anxiously waiting for a phone call to learn whether he can pack his suitcase for a dream trip to Qatar next month to represent Australia, just like teammate Ryan Strain.
With English Championship clubs keeping close tabs on the 24-year-old after an impressive start to life in Scotland, it's understandable Baccus has a lot on his mind.
Particularly staying fit after seeing Socceroos star Martin Boyle hobble off the Easter Road pitch on Saturday, leaving the winger's World Cup dream on a knife-edge.
Baccus told Renfrewshire Live Sport: "It is something we have to deal with. We have to stay mentally strong. We are still waiting for the squad to be finalised.
“Me and Ryan want to be in the best position possible to be in that squad.
“Martin is a great player and I was sad to see him go off. It’s not a nice thing to go through an injury at any time, but especially when a World Cup is coming up.
“I can’t worry about that. I have to play my game and my game is front foot.
“I have faith that I’ll be able to stay fit and healthy. You can’t think of the worst-case scenario.
“I have to keep a level head. I had interest in Australia and other clubs, but I trust my judgment to come here. It is a learning curve and I just need to perform well with each game.
“I didn’t know what the league was like. But I believed in myself. All the boys have welcomed me well. I have really enjoyed my football and it helps to play with a smile on my face.
“You get days like this where it’s tough. You just have to move on. We are still in a decent position in the league.”
VAR played another significant part in St Mirren's 3-0 defeat in the capital, having chalked off Jonah Ayunga's strike against Dundee United on its debut.
Hibs had an early Mykola Kukheravich effort wiped out, but Richard Tait was punished for a handball which was eventually spotted by the assistants back in Glasgow.
Baccus said: “It happened so quickly. If it hits the hand next to your body then that’s allowed.
"That’s what the ref told me. You’re allowed the hand next to the body, so it was a tough one.
“Two weeks in a row it’s hard to take. But we had to be better in other areas of the game too.”
READ MORE:
Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire. Sign up to our newsletters here
