Captain Sean Welsh tips Inverness Caley Thistle kids to seize the day amid injury crisis
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SEAN Welsh admits he has never seen anything like the injury crisis engulfing Caley Thistle.
For some of his youngest team-mates, though, the club captain reckons the dire situation could be the making of them – if they can seize their chance.
A decade ago, a youthful Welsh was part of a callow Partick Thistle squad that defied the odds to win the old First Division, just before it was rebranded as the Championship.
The 32-year-old midfielder, back in action at the weekend after five months without a competitive game, sees no reason why a Caley Jags’ squad featuring 13 players aged 21 or under cannot repeat the feat.
Defender Robbie Deas, with a broken shin bone, became the latest victim on Saturday, joining youngsters like Daniel MacKay, Austin Samuels and Roddy MacGregor on the sidelines.
Danny Devine, Scott Allardice, Shane Sutherland and Tom Walsh also remain out, with Welsh himself brought back prematurely to help ease the situation after recovery from knee surgery.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen an injury crisis like it,” Welsh said as he prepared for tonight’s televised match away to Morton.
“It seems like every time we play, we lose another player. We’ve just got to deal with that the best we can.
“The squad is very thin and I’m not where I’d like to be fitness-wise – I’m just looking to help where I can.
“We’ve just got to try to keep going and pray we don’t get any more injuries.”
Recalling Partick’s 2012/13 success, Welsh emphasised the current campaign was ripe with opportunity.
“I remember when I won the league at Partick, we had a squad with an average age of 22 or 23. We were mostly just young boys,” he said.
“We were fighting for the title against a really experienced Morton team and people, at the time, were saying youth doesn’t win anything.
“We proved them wrong.
“I know, first hand, it can be done with a young squad and it gives people chances to stake a claim to make it in the team.
“It is up to our young boys to kick on and for us more experienced players to try to help them.
“I’ve told the boys this is probably our best chance to win this league, given how tight it is. Anyone who can put a run together can pull away from the pack.
“I’ve just tried to remind the boys that, if we can do that, we have a right good chance this year.
“In a crisis, if someone gets thrown in, sometimes they don’t look back. If someone gets a chance, they have to take it – and that’s what can make a huge difference in your career.”
Welsh missed pre-season with a minor groin issue before suffering a huge blow with his knee problem.
“You just have to get your head down and work through it,” the midfielder stressed. “It is part of football, unfortunately. I’m not saying by any stretch of the imagination that I’m fully back. I’ve still got a bit to go, but I’m getting there.”
