Motherwell dealt 'season ending' blow as boss Stuart Kettlewell provides a major injury update

Motherwell have been dealt a major blow with news that captain Paul McGinn is out for up to four months with the recurrence of a thigh injury.

The Fir Park club go into Saturday’s Scottish Cup fourth round tie at St Johnstone with nine key first-team players out long-term.

Goalkeeper Aston Oxborough, Jair Tavares, Steve Seddon, Liam Gordon, Lennon Miller, Ross Callachan and strikers Zach Robinson and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos are amongst the walking wounded.

On McGinn’s injury, which previously kept him out for months this season, Kettlewell said: “Everyone would have had a reasonable expectation as to the extent of that, just by Paul’s reaction. He was devastated at the weekend, we’re the same, but we’ll support Paul the best way we possibly can.

“The medical staff have that process well up and running to try and start his recovery as quickly as we possibly can.

“But we will all understand, that looks like ‘season over’ for Paul, which is really disappointing.

“From a personal point of view, I feel he’s one of, if not the, most consistent players since I came to the club a couple of years ago.

“He was made captain, and he’s a big influence in everything we do, on and off the pitch, so it’s obvious disappointment and an obvious blow for us.

“Paul generally trains and plays all the time. I know he’s just come back from a longer-term injury, but he’s not really been used to it in his career.

“The fact that he’s well over 500 games would suggest to you that he has been a robust player and somebody that’s always out there, through thick of thin.

“That has a particular mind-set. There are players who can be unfortunate and have had lots of injuries, and they’ve had to brace themselves from an early age to deal with that.

“I