Steven MacLean is sure St Johnstone fans will answer the club’s rallying call and turn out in force this weekend.
The interim boss is gearing up for Saturday afternoon’s huge tussle of Tayside against Dundee United at McDiarmid Park.
The Perth club has been pushing to promote the game to schools, teams and groups in order to ramp up the atmosphere for what is the first of the post-split fixtures.
Opponents Dundee United sit just two points behind ninth-placed Saints and their fans will only be housed in the North Stand and a section of the Main Stand.
“I’m sure we’ll have a big home support for this game,” MacLean said.
“We’re all really looking forward to it. It’s a derby.
“The club have made the right decision and the players are delighted with it.
“We’ll do our best to give the fans something to get behind and I know they’ll give us great backing.
“We’re looking at this game as a big opportunity to start these last five games in the right way.
“Dundee United are on a good run of form. We’ve watched their last three games and I was at the Hibs match myself.
“We’ve got to embrace this situation, be positive and enjoy a big game like this. I’m sure we’ll give it a go.
“We’ve got a point against Hibs – it should have been three. It was a good performance and we’ve backed it up well in training.
“It’s all about results but if we can control our own performance hopefully those will come.”
MacLean hopes to have defender Alex Mitchell back available.
“We’re hopeful he’ll be back for Saturday,” MacLean said.
“He did bits and pieces last week with the physio. It was hamstring – he was touch and go for Livingston. It didn’t feel great in the warm-up so we left him on the bench.
“Dan Phillips had an illness but he’s fine now.”
Nicky Clark, meanwhile, is making good progress on his recovery from injury but the likelihood is he will not play any part this season.
MacLean said: “Nicky’s actually coming along really well.
“He’s flying in his rehab. He’s back outside and pushing hard to get back. It’s great to see.
“He’s been doing straight line running and every time you speak to him he’s telling me how well it’s going.
“When boys come back out and do some work with the physios it is obviously great for them but it’s great for the rest of the squad as well.
“It would be a massive bonus if he came back before the end of the season and stranger things have happened but I still wouldn’t think so. If he did we’d obviously be delighted.”
Providing an update on fellow forward Chris Kane, MacLean added: “He’s picked up niggles, like you do when you’ve been out for so long.
“We’re not planning on having him back. If he did make it back before the end of the season it would be a bonus for him and us.
“Because he’s been out for so long, it would be a massive ask to try and hit the ground running.
“For Chris and us the most important thing is he’s in good condition and training regularly. Then hopefully that will lead to games.”
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