Martin Canning waiting on Michael Devlin and Danny Seaborne
Hamilton boss Martin Canning has a couple of doubts for the Ladbrokes Premiership clash with Rangers at the SuperSeal Stadium on Friday night.
Skipper Michael Devlin is recovering from a thigh injury which has kept him out of the last two matches while fellow defender Danny Seaborne is battling back from a foot injury which saw him miss the Celtic defeat on Tuesday night, and both trained only in part on Thursday.
Midfielder Gramoz Kurtaj remains out with ankle injury, on-loan Norwich goalkeeper Remi Matthews and long-term absentees Jesus Garcia Tena and Craig Watson are also still missing.
Canning will take the positives from the 1-1 draw with the Light Blues at Ibrox on the opening day of the league season, as well as encouragement from their most recent game, where in a battling, tenacious performance they held runaway leaders Celtic to a narrow 1-0 win at Parkhead on Tuesday night.
He said: "We learned on Tuesday that the boys are capable of raising their game and concentrating for 90 minutes at a difficult venue. (Friday) night is going to be similar.
"Albeit it is a home game, it is still a huge club coming here and we have to make sure we are competing and concentrating from minute one and put in the energy we are doing and hopefully we can take something from the game.
"We set out intentionally trying to win the game and every game is difficult. We need to make sure we approach it properly."
Rangers defender Clint Hill is available for the clash after suspension but midfielders Josh Windass and Jordan Rossiter are still not ready for action.
Playmaker Niko Kranjcar (knee) is out for the rest of the season.
Full-back Lee Hodson is likely to keep his place in the side but he is fully aware that he will have a fight on his hands to keep it permanently.
The Northern Ireland defender has been forced to play understudy to Ibrox skipper Lee Wallace and James Tavernier for most of the season.
But he has helped Mark Warburton's men pick up their two best results of the campaign so far after forcing his way into the team for Gers' victories over Aberdeen and Hearts.
Tavernier was given a rare start in midfield for last weekend's win over the Jambos but Hodson knows his preferred position is the right-back slot he has been filling.
"I am really enjoying it, everyone wants to get game time and I have managed to play the last two games and I have thoroughly enjoyed it," he said. "The best thing of all was that we got the results we wanted.
"It is healthy for the squad to have competition all over the park and I think we have that throughout the squad, not just in the full-back position.
"We have a big squad and everyone is fighting for their place.
"I knew it would be difficult coming here with two top-quality full-backs - the two best in the league - but that's what it is about coming to a new club.
"But I have worked hard and know I need to fight to get my chance."
Source: PAR
