St Johnstone

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Simo Valakari is hoping the paperwork for Jonathan Svedberg's move to St Johnstone squad is completed in time for the Swedish midfielder to play.

Defender Daniels Balodis - having left Latvian side FK RFS - will have to wait for his move to be sealed. Cammy MacPherson (hip) is working his way back but Uche Ikpeazu (knee) and Sam McClelland (Achilles) remain sidelined.

Motherwell could hand debuts to Ellery Balcombe and Luke Armstrong, while Liam Gordon and Harry Paton will be assessed.

Jack Vale begins a two-match ban while Apostolos Stamatelopoulos (calf), Lennon Miller, Steve Seddon (both ankle), Ross Callachan (hamstring), Paul McGinn (thigh), Aston Oxborough (thumb) and Zach Robinson (Achilles) remain out along with Jair Tavares.

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Jason Holt hopes the lessons he learned from Livingston's doomed relegation fight last season can help St Johnstone's survival bid.

With 15 games remaining the Perth side have a nine-point deficit on second-bottom Hearts and haven't won in nine league games.

As he looked ahead to Saturday's visit of Motherwell, midfielder Holt said: "We need to try and nip it in the bud because the longer it goes on, like I found last year, the more difficult it becomes to get out of the situation you're in.

"It can definitely start to weigh you down the longer it goes on.

"We need to make sure it doesn't go on as long as I experienced last year because ultimately it won't end well.

"We're in control of that, we've still got time on our side but we need to make sure we act quick."

Holt, 31, wants Saints to use last weekend's Scottish Cup fourth-round win over Motherwell as the catalyst for a positive run.

"The cup game gives us a platform," he added. "It's one win in the cup, we're not getting carried away, but if we can take the positives from that and take it to this weekend, hopefully we can start building a bit of momentum which will help us climb up the league."

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Swedish midfielder Jonathan Svedberg is looking forward to the higher "intensity" of Scottish football after signing for St Johnstone following his departure from Halmstads.

The 25-year-old, who has agreed a contract until summer 2026, spent nine years with the Swedish top-flight club but was out of contract at the end of the 2024 season.

Svedberg made 35 appearances, all but two of them starts, as Halmstads finished 12th of 16 teams in the Allsvenskan.

"It has been a good journey for me, but I felt like I needed something else and an adventure," he told Saints' website. "I think Scotland is perfect for that.

"It is different moving here all by myself, but this will help me grow more as a person."

In addition to helping Halmstads avoid relegation last year, former youth international Svedberg twice helped them win promotion to the top flight and will now hope he can help Saints move off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership.

He described McDiarmid Park as a "very nice" stadium and added: "It is a good league, the intensity is higher and I think it will suit me. I feel I can bring a lot of experience. I have been playing high-level football for a long time now.

"I am physical, go into duels and will be strong, but I like to be in control of positions too. The head coach wants to have control of games and I like this football philosophy."

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• While St Johnstone knocked Motherwell out of the Scottish Cup last week, they have lost both of their league meetings with the Steelmen this season (both 2-1), last losing three in a row against them in the top flight in April 2012.

• Motherwell are unbeaten in five league visits to St Johnstone (W2 D3), and could win successive such trips for the first time since November 2012 under Stuart McCall.

• St Johnstone are winless in nine league games (D2 L7), last going 10 without victory in January 2022 under Callum Davidson.

• Motherwell have won just one of their past seven away league outings (D1 L5), a 1-0 victory at St Mirren in December. The Steelmen have scored just four goals (and never more than once in a game) in this spell.

• St Johnstone's Benjamin Kimpioka has attempted more dribbles (85) than any other player in the Scottish Premiership, with 42 of his take-ons coming following a ball carry, also a league high.

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari has no doubts that bids will come in for Benjamin Kimpioka before the transfer window closes, with interest in the 24-year-old forward, who is out of contract in the summer, from at least two clubs in Europe, as well as in Israel. (The Courier), external

St Johnstone signing target Daniels Balodis will not need to go before the Scottish FA eligibility panel because the 26-year-old centre-back, currently with RFS, is an established Latvian international and joins Swedish midfielder Jonathan Svedberg in awaiting a work permit. (The Courier), external

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari has left the door open for a second bid to sign Roman Eremenko this summer after the SFA eligibility panel rejected the transfer because of the league the 37-year-old was playing in and his low salary with Gnistan in Finland. (The Courier), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari admits the pressure of a relegation battle is weighing heavily on his players.

Valakari's side are nine points adrift of second-bottom Hearts having only won four of their 23 matches this season.

The Perth side's 1-0 Scottish Cup fourth-round win over Motherwell last week was their first victory in 10 games and they host the Steelmen again this Saturday on league business.

"I've said it all the time, but we have put ourselves in that position," Valakari said.

"So it's our choice now, either we give up, this is too difficult, this is too heavy, too much pressure, or we take it as a challenge.

"We are here, and we need to get out of this. I want to see, we want to see, as a team, a club, the positives.

"I would not stay up for the challenge if I did not feel I have my players up for the challenge. I would not stay up for the challenge if I feel the club was not up for the challenge.

"So everyone is up for the challenge. And as I said, it's a very difficult situation. It weighs heavily on our shoulders, but that's part of football.

"I would like to use it the other way around. When you play to win the trophy, that weighs heavily on you. You need to handle that pressure as well. There's always pressure.

"Unfortunately for us, it's a negativity pressure, but we need to handle that as well."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Simo Valakari has been speaking to the media before St Johnstone face Motherwell in the Premiership this weekend.

Here are the key lines from the Perth boss:

• Saints are close to signing Swedish midfielder Jonathan Svedberg, who could join before the weekend, and Latvian defender Daniels Balodis.

• Valakari confirms the club have received bids for a "few" players.

• He admits recent league results - nine games without a win - are "catastrophic" and "it hits you hard".

• With Saints nine points adrift at the bottom there is "no hiding" and Valakari says: "Either we give up, this is too difficult, this is too heavy, too much pressure, or we take it as a challenge".

• Last week's Scottish Cup win over Motherwell provided belief that things can turn and "everyone is up" for the fight.

• On playing the Steelmen in successive games, Valakari says: "They will come with this attitude that it was just an accident what happened last weekend. So we need to be ready for that."

St Johnstone boss Simo Valakari is confident Sam Curtis will turn out to be the perfect example of how a loan deal from an English club should work. (The Courier)

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

St Johnstone's bid to sign Roman Eremenko, who has 73 Finland caps, has collapsed after the Scottish FA refused to endorse a work permit application, with the 37-year-old midfielder's age possibly having gone against him. (Herald - subscription), external

Leeds United's 21-year-old Kris Moore, who can play at centre-half or right-back, has arrived at St Johnstone for a trial. (Courier - subscription), external

Midfielders Matt Smith and Cammy MacPherson have intimated they want to leave St Johnstone before the transfer window closes now that opportunities to play are likely to diminish. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Sam Miller
Fan writer

Is the win over Motherwell going to be the turning point of our season?

The Scottish Cup, which has twice called Perth home in the last 11 years, seems to have kickstarted the players as we advanced to a fifth-round tie at home to Hamilton.

New additions Andy Fisher, Sam Curtis and Victor Griffith, who already look like an upgrade on what we have, have hit the ground running.

Unbelievably, Makenzie Kirk's winning strike was our first goal in the Scottish Cup since Shaun Rooney decided to produce the goods at Hampden (again) in the 2021 final.

However, in the league the teams above us need roughly 15 points from 15 games to survive.

Premiership survival could be a stretch too far for us but the weekend result, performance, player attitude and confidence may not make relegation the forgone conclusion many think it is.

Sam Miller can be found at Dogger Saints Podcast, external

We asked for your thoughts after St Johnstone beat Motherwell 1-0 in the Scottish Cup fourth round.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Dunc: One swallow doth not a summer make, but it is a start. This has to be maintained against the same opposition next week. We still need a couple more in before the window closes, and I would not be sad to see the back of Benjamin Kimpioka, Adama Sidibeh and Nicky Clark. We need another striker to compliment Makenzie Kirk.

Duncan: It's fair to say that the team will have been unburdened by league issues, but there was also a freshness about the team brought, a better balance and some reward for the work they've put into the last few games. It'll be interesting to see how they go against the same opposition next week, hopefully with one or two more additions.

Jimmy: A good win, can't pick out any negatives, the defence is still an issue but much better, a clean sheet. We're looking like more of an attacking threat, just needed that comfort of another goal, things are improving, one game at a time.

Paul: Fantastic first half where we should have been two or three up. Looked far more solid at the back and a commanding performance from Andy Fisher! It's not over, if we can play like that in the league we will win games.

Makenzie Kirk's early strike helped St Johnstone banish their Premiership blues as they earned a first home win over Motherwell in three years to claim a place in the Scottish Cup last 16.

A whirlwind start brought Kirk's goal inside the first 10 minutes, scrambled in from a Graham Carey corner.

The legs of Motherwell keeper Archie Mair then prevented debutant Victor Griffith from doubling the advantage shortly afterwards when he was sent clear on goal.

Had Simo Valakari's side been tidier with their finishing, their win could have been a whole lot more comfortable.

They were unrecognisable from the side who had lost seven of their previous nine and are adrift at the bottom of the league.

St Johnstone fans, were you at McDiarmid Park or following the action from home? Either way we want your views on the performance.

Have your say, external

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari: "It's a big win for the players, for the club and for the fans as well.

"The most important thing today was to win the match and get to the next round but the first half performance was very good and in the second half we showed the character to defend.

"It has not been easy, there's no hiding but you cannot control the results. You can control the performances and I thought the players put in a good performance today.

"When we have lost matches we have been down but we've known what we needed to do. We can't stop doing the things we're good at. This gives us something to be happy about. We can't think we've turned a corner, that's the worst thing was can think.

"When we can play this way, we defend better as well. From that point on our game looks more complete. It's still very fragile. Overall I was very pleased."

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In a game that lacked much excitement, Makenzie Kirk's goal put a shine on what has been a rather underwhelming season for St Johnstone so far. Could this be a turning point for Simo Valakari's side?

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St Johnstone have signed Sheffield United defender Sam Curtis on loan until the end of the 2024/25 season.

The full-back was on the books of Shamrock Rovers before moving to St Patrick's Athletic in August 2021 where he became their youngest ever player at 15 years and 255 days old.

From there he went to Sheffield United and made his debut in a Premier League game against Everton.

The Republic of Ireland youth international will be available for St Johnstone's Scottish Cup clash against Motherwell on Saturday.

"I am delighted to be here and I am so excited to get to work," Curtis told club media., external

"After speaking with the manager, seeing the great stadium and meeting with the lads, I am just excited to get out there on the pitch now.

"It is an exciting challenge for me and the team. We want to get ourselves back into a good position in the league. I am hoping to come in and play a big part in that."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Teenage midfielder Fran Franczak has thanked St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari for showing faith in him.

Franczak, 17, became Saints' youngest ever player - aged 16 yrs and 38 days old - when he made his debut against Hibs last season.

This term, Franczak is beginning to establish himself under Valakari - starting three of the last four games - and hopes to feature in Saturday's Scottish Cup tie at home to Motherwell.

He said: "It is obviously really good the manager has put his trust in me, we have a very good relationship.

"There is a lot of positivity, everyone has a good mentality in the team, and we are ready for the game on Saturday to win."

Franczak was born in Poland but moved to Scotland over a decade ago, growing up as a St Johnstone fan.

And having been at Hampden to watch the club's Scottish Cup triumph in 2014, he admits playing for his boyhood heroes in the competition is special.

"It means a lot, I went to the 2014 final with one of my friends, but I watched the one in 2021 on the TV," he said.

"I was seven [in 2014], I remember the parade in the town afterwards, my mum still shows me pictures of that sometimes."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari wants his side "to be a little bit crazy" as they look to turn their wretched season around.

The Perth side are nine points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership and winless in nine games as they begin their Scottish Cup campaign with a fourth-round home tie against Motherwell on Saturday.

"I am not stupid, I am not overly positive, it is a very difficult situation we all know," Valakari said of his side's league plight.

"We need to be brave, we need to be a little bit crazy and go all in and let's see where it takes us. No one inside the club is hiding, no one even one millimetre has given up.

"We put ourselves in this situation, we need to now get ourselves out of this situation."

Valakari was asked if a cup win this weekend could be a catalyst for an upturn of fortunes in the league.

He said: "I wish I could say we win one match and everything will be rosey. No, it is not like that.

"There is no magic in football that things can happen but I said after the league match last weekend, it has been difficult for many reasons but I feel the team is coming back now and that is a good thing.

"We are talking that it is a welcome break from the pressure of the league but if we keep doing these things that we have been doing lately, it doesn't matter that it is the cup or league or friendly match, we are not going to be successful."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari has been speaking to the media before the Scottish Cup tie against Motherwell on Saturday.

Here are the key lines:

• Valakari didn't want to be drawn on transfer chat "out of respect for this cup competition" but did confirm the club have "agreed terms" with Swedish midfielder Jonathan Svedberg.

• Trialist Roman Eremenko has gone back home but Valakari wouldn't confirm if the former £13m midfielder will be coming back.

• The Perth boss says the cup tie is a break from the pressure of the Premiership survival battle and his side have "nothing to lose".

• On whether a cup win could be a catalyst for better fortunes in the league, he says "there is no magic in football that things can happen", but feels the team "is coming back now".

• On their league plight (nine points adrift at the bottom) Valakari says it is a "very difficult situation" but that "no one has even one millimetre given up" and "everyone is hurting, everyone is suffering".

• The Finn pointed out if they keep making the same mistakes then survival is "impossible".

• On the challenge Motherwell will pose, he says they are a team that always give 100% and "we need to match that".

• Team news: No fresh injuries and the club are waiting for the necessary clearance to field new signing Victor Griffith.

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Connor Smith will not be returning to St Johnstone after Hamilton paid an undisclosed fee to sign the loan midfielder on a permanent deal.

The 22-year-old departs the Perth club having made 13 Saints appearances and scored once since his move from Hearts a year ago.

Smith moved on loan to Hamilton in September and his played 15 games for the Championship side.

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Might the break from their grim league predicament bring the morale boost of a much-needed win for St Johnstone?

The rock-bottom Perth side are seeking a first victory in 10 games when they host Motherwell in an all-Premiership fourth-round Scottish Cup tie on Saturday.

Former Scotland goalkeeper Gemma Fay, who is a Saints fan, told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast: "It's an opportunity to leave the stress of the league to one side. It's a free hit, isn't it?

"And Motherwell are struggling a little bit in terms of their injury count. We know they've got some key players out.

"If we're looking for positives, the second half versus Rangers, St Johnstone were much improved. I think Simo Valakari will take something from that.

"I know he wants to play attacking football and we'd love that but we're also realists in terms of the quality of squad we've got.

"We like the cups and we've had success recently. It's an opportunity to take a little bit of stress off the players, allow them to go and enjoy themselves against a good Motherwell team, but a struggling one in terms of those injuries.

"Hopefully we can take something out of it."

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Monday's Dundee derby grabbed the headlines when the Scottish Cup fourth-round draw was made, but there are two other all-Premiership ties before the city rivals do battle for the final spot in the last 16, including Saturday's game in Perth.

Either St Johnstone, aiming to reach the last 16 for the first time since lifting the trophy in 2021, or Motherwell will end their dismal recent run on Saturday.

Saints have fallen nine points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership with no wins in nine outings, seven of them losses, under new manager Simo Valakari and seem destined for relegation.

Visitors Motherwell, suffering a spate of injuries, have themselves just one victory in seven, but Stuart Kettlewell's side have won 2-1 home and away against the Perth side already this season and have not lost in five visits to McDiarmid Park.

Read Scottish Cup preview in full.