Watch : St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson relishing massive match

Saints target European group-stage football for 1st time

Author: Dave GallowayPublished 25th Aug 2021
Last updated 27th Aug 2021

Callum Davidson is enjoying the prospect of having key midfielder David Wotherspoon back in his St Johnstone squad for Thursday.

The 31-year-old former Hibernian player has been sidelined for Saints' last four games after contracting coronavirus.

However, he has trained this week and is in contention to face the Austrian side in Perth in the second leg of a tie delicately poised at 1-1 following the first leg in Klagenfurt last week.

Boss Davidson said: "David didn't really have any symptoms so he's looking pretty good. He's trained really well and it's great that he's back.

"We've definitely missed him because he's got that bit of quality and composure on the ball that sometimes we need to get up the pitch. He can definitely be a big player for me on Thursday.''

After an impressive performance in Austria, Davidson is "pretty relaxed'' ahead of the second leg at a pumped-up McDiarmid Park as his side bid to land themselves in the region of £3million by reaching the group stage.

Davidson praised Zander Clark after he earned a maiden Scotland call-up on Tuesday and urged other highly-regarded Saints players to keep delivering on a consistent basis if they want to follow the goalkeeper into the international set-up.

He said: "Zander's had to be patient to get his call-up so I think if the other boys keep performing, they'll get noticed.

"In fact, they are already noticed because I've spoken to (manager) Steve (Clarke) about them so he knows they're doing well.

"I'm not one of those managers who says he should be picked or he should be picked because I've worked behind the scenes with Gordon Strachan so I know how it works.''