Meekings hails Scottish talent
Inverness defender Josh Meekings feels Dundee United's summer talent drain is a good thing for Scottish football - but he admits Caley Thistle have benefited from keeping their team intact.
Inverness retained all their first-team players in the close season, including Northern Ireland striker Billy McKay, while United sold young Scots Ryan Gauld and Andy Robertson to Sporting Lisbon and Hull for a combined fee of more than B#5million.
But both teams have started the season well and go into their meeting in the Highlands on Saturday in the top three of the Scottish Premiership.
And Meekings feels United can be proud of the fact they are producing players that big clubs want to sign.
The 22-year-old said: "I wouldn't say that's a bad thing, I think it shows that the Scottish league has some great players in it and the likes of Championship teams are looking at these sorts of players and want to take them away from the clubs.
"Obviously it's disappointing when a player leaves a club but they have every right to, they have worked hard and they have done all they can for the club and it's up to them to continue their future.
"It's a good sign. It shows the football is a good standard and everyone will look at it and say 'they must be doing something right up in Scotland'."
Inverness boss John Hughes will be without suspended midfielder Ryan Christie for Saturday's Scottish Premiership visit of Dundee United.
The Scotland Under-21 playmaker was sent off for two bookable offences against St Mirren last weekend.
Captain Richie Foran (knee) remains a long-term absentee.
Dundee United will travel to Inverness on Saturday without Paul Paton and Mark Wilson after announcing an investigation into their behaviour following reports surrounding an attack on Celtic goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska.
Wilson has stated he tried to defuse a situation regarding Zaluska in the early hours of Monday morning before assisting his former Celtic team-mate, who was injured in an assault in Glasgow's Ashton Lane.
Police are investigating the incident but have refused to comment on reports that another Scottish Premiership player was involved.
Wilson has not played for United's first team this season after suffering a foot injury in pre-season but he played 90 minutes when their development team beat Hearts 6-3 on Monday.
Paton was last week named Scottish Premiership player of the month for September.
After United launched an internal investigation into the conduct of the players following "information received by the club", McNamara told them to stay away from training and will not take them to the Highlands.
McNamara told Sky Sports News HQ: "I've decided I think it's best to keep them out of the limelight, with the attention that's surrounding it. We're doing an internal investigation that will not be done by me, it'll be (done) by the club to make sure everything's okay.
"It's more a disruption if they're here at the moment.
"My focus is Saturday and that's why we decided to do that, to get the rest of the players ready for the game, because to me that's what we're here for, to play games of football.
"We'll try to focus the best we can despite all the attention.
"The two players are Mark Wilson and Paul Paton. It will take as long as it takes. It's out of my hands - the club's dealing with it."
Source: PA
