Confirmed - Inverness Caley Thistle star Warren breaks leg in opening day loss against Motherwell
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CALEY Thistle's start to the new Ladbrokes Scottish Premiership season could barely have begun much worse on Saturday.
John Hughes' Scottish Cup winners crashed to a 1-0 home defeat against an energised Motherwell side who remained in the top-flight after their sizzling 6-1 aggregate play-off showdown win over Rangers.
An opening day loss is hardly ideal but problems piled up for the Highlanders before and during the afternoon as the Steel Men departed the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium with a deserved three points.
Hughes is so limited with the number of fit players he could only name five on his bench, including late-week signing, Belgian-born attacking midfielder Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo.
The big worry is that central defender and stand-in skipper Gary Warren could be out for some time with a broken leg following a challenge from Stephen Pearson. He was taken straight to the city's Raigmore Hospital after the incident.
The news of the break was confirmed this morning (Sunday) by ICT.
An injury to fellow defender Josh Meekings further filled up the treatment room.
Already sidelined for last season's third-best league performer behind champions Celtic and Aberdeen are Aaron Doran, James Vincent, Carl Tremarco, captain Richie Foran and striker Jordan Roberts.
Well manager Ian Baraclough made major changes this summer as he aims to steer the Lanarkshire club into the top six contention, well clear of any relegation fight this time around.
Lionel Ainsworth was suspended and Craig Reid was injured and four new men made their competitive debuts for Motherwell.
Connor Ripley, the keeper on loan from Middlesbrough, was handed a starting shirt along with Wes Fletcher, who joined for York City, Joe Chalmers, who arrived from Celtic, and Louis Laing, who had been on loan from Notts County but is now a fully signed-up Well player.
There was plenty of early verve from the visitors as they got in about an Inverness CT side still feeling a bit sore after being edged out of their first Europa League experience against Astra of Romania more than a week ago.
Warren was booked early on by referee Crawford Allan for a foul on McDonald, a man seen as a key capture on his latest Fir Park return.
Motherwell marched in front after just three minutes. Midfielder Greg Tansey's slack pass was gathered by Stephen Pearson, whose shot was saved by new keeper Owain Fon Williams but Fletcher pounced to bury the ball beyond him into the net.
Fletcher looks like a clever find from Ballaclough and he was unlucky on 24 minutes to see his shot flash wide after some creative space-making play outside the box.
Marvin Johnson, a pivotal player in Motherwell's fight against the drop last season, then won his team a penalty after bursting into the box and being taken down by Danny Williams.
McDonald's low drive to the right was saved by Fon Williams and the hosts could breathe a sigh of relief.
Motherwell were a real menace on the attack and were gutted not to have been 2-0 ahead.
Caley Thistle were having plenty of the ball but not doing anything of note in the final third to make Motherwell sweat.
Hughes hauled off Nat Wedderburn after 33 minutes, allowing Mubuyi-Mutombo to make his bow in the blue and red jersey.
Pearson was then booked for his challenge on Warren, which forced him off the field after a lengthy stoppage. Ross Draper dropped back into the heart of defence.
With the fans just getting to grips with what had been a disappointing and worrying opening first half to the new campaign, they had more reason to be down at the second half of this game as injured Meekings was replaced by Lewis Horner in the final possible substitution for Hughes.
Welshman Fon Williams twice denied the ever-alert Johnson just after the break as Motherwell sought to finish ICT off.
Mbuyi-Mutombo seemed the main ray of light for the Inverness team as he moved the ball about smartly and with purpose.
However, that alone was not enough to get them back into the game.
Motherwell continued to remain well organised, using their pace to threaten in attack.
On 75 minutes, such a break led to Johnson curling a shot around Fon Williams' right post.
Tansey then got a rare chance for Caley Thistle after Horner won a free-kick, but the usually dangerous set-piece taker saw his effort hit the wall and go out for a corner.
Fon Williams pulled off late saves from Josh Law and sub Louis Moult to ensure the afternoon didn't become even worse for the Highlanders and it finished 1-0 to the Well.
This coming week, Hughes might want to wrap as many players in cotton wool as he can ahead of Saturday's trip to St Johnstone.
Inverness CT: Fon Williams, Meekings (Horner 46), Warren (Polworth 42), Devine, Raven, Wedderburn (Mbuyi-Mutombo 33), Christie, Tansey, Draper, Williams, Lopez. Subs not used: Esson (GK), Brown.
Motherwell: Ripley, Law, Laing, McManus, Hammell, Lasley, Johnson, McDonald (Clarkson 83), Pearson (Leitch 46), Chalmers, Fletcher (Moult 67). Subs not used: Twardzik, Kennedy, Thomas, Ferguson.
Attendance: 3,307.
Referee: Crawford Allan.
