Mark Connolly in race to be fit for Kilmarnock's clash with Hamilton
Mark Connolly will be assessed ahead of Kilmarnock's Ladbrokes Premiership clash with Hamilton at Rugby Park on Saturday.
The Killie captain has been struggling with a recurring knee problem but played for the development team on Tuesday and will be monitored.
Mark O'Hara (ankle) and Rory McKenzie (knock) are both back jogging but the match is likely to come too soon for them while Chris Johnston (knee) remains out.
Goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald believes experience of recovering from big defeats this season stands Kilmarnock in good stead following their 5-1 thumping by Dundee United last weekend.
Killie started the campaign with a 4-0 home defeat to newly-promoted Dundee and before their trip to Tannadice had conceded four goals to Ross County and Aberdeen and five to Partick Thistle.
Killie won two and drew one of the matches following those four heavy beatings and ahead of the visit of Hamilton, where the Ayrshire outfit look to leapfrog the visitors out of the relegation play-off spot, MacDonald looked at those responses for some positives.
The 29-year-old said: "It is not the first time it has happened this season so I think we are probably well drilled to maybe deal with it rather than it being a first-time thing and heads go down.
"I think that was our fifth game this season where we properly got a bit of a doing to be honest. Of course it is worrying. You maybe get one or two freak results like that a year.
"The boys have just been in working hard and hoping to rectify the situation at the weekend.
"Every time we seem to get a bit of a run going, a few good results, confidence up, we go and shoot ourselves in the foot and take a defeat and usually a heavy defeat at that.
"That is what is disappointing, I don't think it is the fact of being beaten which is the problem, it is the manner that they come in sometimes.
"But we had been in good form prior to the game on Saturday so we just need to make sure it is a blip and we get back on track on Saturday."
Hamilton defender Jesus Garcia Tena will miss out after being sent off in last week's draw with Hearts.
However, player/boss Martin Canning may decide to make his return to the team if he can finally shake off a hamstring strain.
Accies also have a couple of knocks they are monitoring but Canning does not expect them to affect his plans for Rugby Park.
Meanwhile, Brazilian striker Alex D'Acol, who is still trying to adjust to life in Scotland after joining Accies at the end of August, is targeting his first goal for the club.
The forward has started Hamilton's last four matches, including the 8-1 hammering by Celtic, after seven appearances off the bench but is still waiting to net his first goal for the New Douglas Park outfit.
"I'm really fitting in now," he said. "When I first joined the league had already started and I had missed pre-season.
"But now I feel I am fitting in and that I can help even more with each game that comes.
"There is more to come, I really feel it. I'm excited to score my first goal. But they will come naturally. The important thing is the team - you cannot risk that for a personal objective."
Source: PAR
