Mark McGhee to be patient with injured Lee Lucas
Motherwell manager Mark McGhee will give Lee Lucas every chance to win a Fir Park contract after his debut was cut short by injury.
The 24-year-old midfielder showed good distribution against Annan on Saturday after being registered on a short-term basis, but went off 35 minutes into Motherwell's 3-1 Betfred Cup win with a tight hamstring.
The former Wales Under-21 international left Swansea in the summer after his career was derailed by a serious knee problem in recent years, but McGhee had been impressed by his fitness in training.
McGhee said: "It was disappointing because he started the game well and showed a little bit of what I'd seen in training that I thought made him a little bit different from Las (Keith Lasley) and Carl McHugh.
"It was a shame for the boy because when he has been running in training he has been right up the front. He is a fit lad, he has not suddenly gone into a game and it's been too much for him. We use all the GPS stuff and his times and distances are right up there, so it was a surprise when he got injured.
"We will just see how he recovers now and do the best we can to get him fit quickly and give him another chance."
Louis Moult scored twice at Galabank but he will undergo groin surgery before East Stirling visit Fir Park on Tuesday night. Scott McDonald is set to take his place after missing the Annan game with a tight hamstring, but fellow striker Jacob Blyth (Achilles) remains out.
"Scott is training and if he's fine he will play," McGhee said. "Jacob has arrived here with a couple of little injuries which I feel have prevented him really pushing on in terms of fitness.
"I don't feel if I have been able to push him as hard as I want to so I have taken him out and told the sports science guys I want him injury-free before he comes back to me.
"Because when he comes back to me I want to be able to push him as hard as I can. I'm not having him back with me until I know he is ready."
Meanwhile, McGhee is closing in on a new assistant after Stephen Robinson left to take charge at Oldham.
"I have approached someone and I hope to hear this week one way or another," he said.
East Stirling head coach John Sludden has added his son Paul to the squad that will travel to Fir Park, but Scott Buist and Jamie Glasgow are injury doubts.
Source: PAR
