Motherwell are being left to wait on the fitness of captain Peter Hartley ahead of their match with Rangers this weekend.
The Well captain was substituted with a head knock during the Well’s 3-0 defeat to Aberdeen last weekend.
Hartley could miss the Rangers game after suffering a head knock. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)
Assistant boss Keith Lasley says that it will be the Motherwell medical staff who decide whether or not Hartley makes the Rangers battle this weekend.
He told the Daily Record (page 61, 24/10/19): “Peter is ok. With any head injury you don’t take any chances, particularly in light of the conversations going on in Scottish football – any head injury has to be treated with the utmost caution and that’s what we did.
“We followed the protocol regarding that with the doctor. He has missed a couple of days training and we’ll be guided by the medical staff but we expect Peter to be available.”
Motherwell captain Hartley expected to make it
Whilst Lasley expects his captain to be ok for the Ibrox clash, that’s not necessarily a guarantee. There’s still a chance that doctors could rule him out of the game.
Lasley is hopeful but doubts remain. (Photo by Ewan Bootman/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
That would be a blow for Motherwell. Alongside Declan Gallagher, Hartley has formed a decent partnership in the Well backline. The man himself won’t want to miss further action, having played just 14 Premiership games in each of the last two seasons.
A makeshift defence is also what the Well will want to avoid against a rampant Rangers side who have scored over 50 goals already this campaign. As last week’s 3-0 defeat showed, the Gers could exploit Motherwell if the Steelmen aren’t’ careful.
All of that aside, Motherwell will hope that their leader on the pitch makes the weekend’s match.