Hamilton Accies boss sweating over defender's fitness ahead of Morton trip

Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin faces a sweat over the fitness of defender Lee Kilday as his side heads for Dougie Imrie’s Morton on Saturday.

But Rankin says getting players like Ben Williamson and Jackson Longridge back in training is a major boost.

Kilday was forced off at half-time of Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at home to Ayr United in their Championship opener, and with Dylan McGowan nursing a broken leg and Fergus Owens out for the season, Rankin isn’t taking chances.

He said: “Lee got an injury within the first half, we knew he was struggling, but he managed to get through to half-time.

“I don’t think it’s a serious injury, but it’s obviously serious enough for him to come off after the first half.

“Lee has missed training, but hopefully it’s not too bad and he will be available either for this weekend or next.

“If we had left him on the pitch he would 100 per cent have been out for the weekend, but it was a case of what’s the lesser of two evils here – do we leave him on and he’s maybe out for five or six weeks, or do we take a precaution and take him off, and he’s maybe available for next weekend?

“Using the examples of Fergus and Dylan it was a risk we weren’t willing to take, in getting Lee off.

“He’s not been able to join in training, but we’re still hopeful for the weekend, and he has plenty of time between now and then.

“Ben Williamson has been out since the Stranraer game but that was just a knock, so he looks as if he will be fine for Saturday. Jacko’s back training.

“Although we’ve lost Dylan for a while, and Fergus for the season, we’re getting people back and it’s important that we continue that.

“There are a few players in the squad who, although they were at a higher level last season they didn’t play a