Inverness manager Craig Brewster will have to choose between the current pairing of Jamie Duff and Phil McGuire if club captain Grant Munro returns to the first team for the visit of former team-mates Craig Dargo and Dennis Wyness.

Munro, who will be 28 Monday, has been sidelined since picking up a knee injury in the historic first win against Aberdeen at the start of August, but played the full game for the reserves in a 2-1 defeat to Falkirk on Wednesday.

Brewster is fully aware of the goal-scoring potential of both Dargo — a player he signed for Caley Thistle in June 2005 — and Inverness's all-time leading goal-scorer Wyness, so he could opt for experience ahead of 19-year-old Duff.

The McGuire/Munro combination might not be favoured by supporters however, as a fans website poll made that particular pairing third place as The Inverness Courier went to press.

Eighty per cent of voters preferred to see Duff keep his place alongside Munro, despite McGuire and Duff being first choice against Falkirk last time out.

"Jamie Duff and Phil McGuire did really well two weeks ago and their good performance gave everybody confidence and keeps everybody on their toes," said Brewster, who stressed it was not an automatic decision to put Munro back in the starting line-up.

"There's loads of systems we could use, but usually I prefer a back four and I'll not be changing that at the minute.

"Duff has done exceptionally well and when you have got kids like that coming through — like the four outfield players aged 20 or under who faced Falkirk (Duff, Garry Wood, Iain Vigurs, Adam Rooney) — that's a real boost.

"Suddenly now it's up to the younger players to push for places and up to the older ones to help them and kick them on as well.

"I'm sure Wyness and Dargo will get an excellent reception from the fans. Dennis was a great servant to this club and Dargs played his part for two years, so I think they will both enjoy coming up here and as the home team it's up to us to make it difficult for them.

"They'll be desperate to score if they are playing, but as long as we score more than them that's what it's all about."

Should St Mirren manager Gus MacPherson favour Billy Mehmet — who hit a hat-trick during a 7-0 win against Dumbarton in the Paisley side's last win — ahead of Dargo or Wyness, Brewster may also have his number. Mehmet was a former strike partner with the Inverness boss at Dunfermline.

"He's done well, very well," Brewster commented. "He and Dargs played their last game (a 1-0 home defeat against Aberdeen), I think Dennis is yet to start, but he could come back in so we'll have to wait and see."

Caley Thistle defenders Phil McGuire and Jamie Duff at training yesterday. Ken Macpherson

Caley Thistle left-back Richard Hastings will be in the squad for the game, after returning from international duty today . The 31-year-old won his 50th cap for Canada in a 2-1 defeat to Honduras last weekend, and featured in another 2-1 loss at the hands of Mexico on Wednesday — both games part of his country's World Cup 2010 qualifying campaign.

Fellow defender David Proctor (ankle) and midfielder Russell Duncan (hamstring) will not be fit for the game and Brewster, who has made back-to-back appearances for the reserves has also ruled himself out.

"I'm only playing reserve football when required and that's all," he said. "That's the only reason I registered."

Rory McAllister will have done his chances of a starting place no harm by scoring the opening goal after 20 minutes in the reserves, although a deflected shot from Kevin Moffat and strike from Michael Stewart gave Falkirk the win.

The same opposition were Caley Thistle's last league opponents, also on the road, and a fine late winner from Dougie Imrie added to a Don Cowie equaliser to give the Highlanders maximum points.

A first home win of the season would close the gap on early SPL joint-leaders Rangers and Kilmarnock, who meet at Ibrox, whilst defeat for the visitors could see them drop to bottom of the division.

"We've got to try and make home advantage count — it doesn't matter who you are playing, whether it's Celtic, Rangers or whoever," Brewster said.

"We've got to try and start the game well, get the fans behind us and do well. Every game we try and be positive and hope everybody performs."

Meanwhile, Caley Thistle will temporarily train at Bught Park while the normal training facilities at Fort George are brought up to scratch. The side had used pitches in Culloden since July, but they are now often too wet to train on.

* Caley Thistle's home SPL fixture against Celtic on 18th October will kick-off at 12.30pm and be screened live on Setanta Sports.

sports@inverness-courier.co.uk

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