St Johnstone

Aberdeen are missing Shayden Morris and James McGarry with hamstring injuries.

St Johnstone defender Liam Gordon is available after having last weekend's red card against Livingston overturned.

Strikers Chris Kane and Nicky Clark are set to return from injury lay-offs along with DJ Jaiyesimi.

James Brown could miss out as his partner is due to give birth, while Dara Costelloe is a doubt with a knock and Ali Crawford (calf), Ross Sinclair (broken arm) and Callum Booth (back) remain sidelined.

Tyrone Smith, BBC Sport Scotland

Teenage midfielder Jay Turner-Cooke believes his move to St Johnstone can help him achieve his ultimate dream of playing in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old arrived on a season-long loan from Newcastle during the summer, having spent the second half of last term at League Two Tranmere.

Instead of being disheartened by the star names ahead of him in the pecking order at St James' Park, Turner-Cooke sees it as a motivation to get to where he wants to be.

Ahead of Sunday's Premiership game with Aberdeen, where he hopes to make his fifth Saints appearance, he said: "The type of person I am, I use it as a positive, what can I learn from these people, what can I implement in my game to get me to that level?

"And then you also need the confidence in your ability to, as you grow as a player, get to that level. I genuinely believe as a player that hopefully I am going to play in the Premier League one day for Newcastle.

"One of the loan managers was up on Tuesday, so I am regularly in contact with everyone at Newcastle. They are always looking at the games, the performances, speaking with us, so they are well on it and just want me to do well.

"I want to play at the highest level possible. So I just need to do everything I can, work my socks off and learn off different people. There are guys here who have had very good careers, the likes of Graham Carey, so just learning different things off players like that is a bonus for me and helps me as a player."

Image source, SNS

St Johnstone boss Steven MacLean is boosted by the return of forwards Nicky Clark and Chris Kane for Sunday's trip to Aberdeen. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip

The weekend is here and so is the podcast you need to tee up all the Scottish Premiership action.

Tune in to the dulcet tones David Currie and Roy Loy for the top-flight lowdown here.

Tyrone Smith, BBC Sport Scotland

St Johnstone manager Steven MacLean has hailed the striking options he now has at his disposal with the return of fit-again Nicky Clark and Chris Kane.

Clark has been sidelined since the end of February with an ankle problem while injury-plagued Kane has only been able to feature twice this season after being restricted to just two appearances last term.

Their availability for Sunday's trip to Aberdeen is a huge boost for a Saints side who are the lowest scorers in the Premiership and prop up the table.

"Nicky trained all week so he's in a good place," said MacLean. "It's good to have him back because he's a striker who does the right things at the right times.

"He stands in the right place, he scores goals. He's experienced and he's got know-how, he makes the ball stick. We're happy with him and I know he's desperate to be involved.

"Whether the two of them are ready to start is a different matter but they will both be available for the squad.

"We were hoping both were going to be available for the League Cup campaign, but it has taken to now to get them.

"With those guys ready then we have some firepower now, we have four or five strikers that I feel are good. We can play two strikers as well so we can go 4-4-2 or 3-5-2, so I am happy with my options there as well.

"Chris and Nicky will only get better as well. It is still the early part of their season so they will improve as the campaign goes on."

Image source, SNS

Steven MacLean says the standard of VAR in the Scottish Premiership must improve after St Johnstone were on the receiving end of two controversial calls.

Liam Gordon's red card for a challenge on Joel Nouble in last weekend’s draw at home to Livingston has since been downgraded to yellow on appeal.

And MacLean is adamant the penalty that Livingston equalised from – for an earlier Gordon foul on Nouble – was also a wrong decision.

“We are happy we got the red card rescinded, but we are not happy with the outcome of the game. We would be sitting here with the three points if the two decisions were proper,” said the Saints manager.

“It is a hard one, I am not going to sit here and say I was happy about the performance but I think now it is important how we move forward, how do we stop it happening again?

“You have got VAR but two big decisions in the game they got wrong. How do we educate referees or whoever is on VAR so we try and not let these things happen again?

“Everybody makes mistakes and you can get things wrong, but the problem is we have got VAR to try and negate these mistakes.

“So you have a back-up but it seems the mistakes are still happening. So the big thing for me is how we improve as a league, how do we make everybody better?”

Image source, SNS

Tyrone Smith, BBC Sport Scotland

St Johnstone manager Steven MacLean has been speaking to the media before his side's Premiership game with Aberdeen this weekend.

Here are the key lines from the Saints boss:

• On Liam Gordon having his red card rescinded, MacLean is delighted to have the defender available but feels that even with VAR the officials got "two big decisions wrong".

• He adds: "It has been proven they got one wrong, so how do we not let that happen again? How do we educate referees or whoever is on VAR so we try and not let these things happen again?"

• Striker Nicky Clark – who has been out since February – and fellow striker Chris Kane are both available for selection, with MacLean saying: "With those guys ready we have some firepower now."

• He doesn’t believe fatigue from Aberdeen’s European endeavours will be a factor at Pittodrie on Sunday.

• He knows the importance of getting Saints' first win of the league campaign, saying: "The longer you go without winning it just builds pressure on everybody."

• On the challenge Aberdeen will pose: "We know what is coming, we are ready for it."

Image source, SNS

Poland and Scotland are both keen on 16-year-old St Johnstone midfielder Fran Franczak. (The Courier), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Image source, BBC Sport

• Aberdeen won all three of their league meetings with St Johnstone without conceding last season, the first time they had a 100% win and clean sheet record against an opponent in a Scottish Premiership campaign since 2020-21 v Kilmarnock.

• After losing 2-0 at Pittodrie in January last season, St Johnstone could suffer consecutive away league defeats to Aberdeen for the first time since March 2018.

• Aberdeen have lost two of their last three league matches at home (W1), which is as many as they lost in their previous 11. They did, however, win last time out in the league at Pittodrie, beating Ross County 4-0.

• St Johnstone have failed to win any of their first seven league matches this season (D3 L4); the last time they started a season without a win from their first eight was in 2019-20 (a run of nine).

• No player has scored more goals at home in the Scottish Premiership this season than Aberdeen’s Bojan Miovski with three. His only league assist this season also came at home (v Ross County).

St Johnstone travel to Pittodrie on Sunday still searching for their first win in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Should Steven MacLean opt for the same team that drew against Livingston? Make the big selection calls and pick your Saints XI here.

St Johnstone have succeeded in their appeal against Liam Gordon's red card during last weekend's draw with Livingston.

The defender was sent off - following a VAR check - in the 83rd minute of the 1-1 draw for a challenge on Joel Nouble.

However, a claim of wrongful dismissal has been upheld by a Scottish FA judicial panel and the decision has been downgraded to a yellow card with Gordon's two-game ban wiped.

The defender is now free to face Aberdeen on Sunday as Saints seek their first win of the season.

Image source, SNS

St Johnstone have opened contract talks with midfielder Dan Phillips. (Courier - subscription required), external

Rangers forward Danilo is back on the training pitch following the cheekbone injury he sustained while scoring against St Johnstone last month. (Sun), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip

Jamie Beatson, We Are Perth, external

Last Saturday was a real missed opportunity. We were by far the better team in the first half against Livingston and fully deserved to be ahead at the break, possibly even should have added a second goal.

Livi made a tactical change at half-time which brought them right back into it, albeit without creating much in the way of real scoring chances. But the game - as so many do - hinged on VAR decisions (or lack thereof).

I don’t think Liam Gordon can complain too much about his red card - it was a poor challenge that he really didn’t need to make, though I’d suggest actual contact made was minimal.

But the penalty is pathetic. The referee - 30 yards away and looking through bodies - is in no position to judge what has actually happened. The replays show that Joel Nouble was giving as good as he got with Gordon (who was silly to get as close as he did chasing down a situation that wasn’t exactly dangerous) - but that he throws himself down when Gordon puts his hand on his back.

There’s no push. There’s no real force in it. He just places his hand on Nouble’s back. His legs then collapse and the game changes on that moment.

We weren’t dangerous enough in that second half - that’s on us. But Livi weren’t either so it is a sore one.

There are signs of improvement - Sven Sprangler looks a good addition and we actually created some worthwhile chances in the first half which we haven’t done enough of this season - but we need that first win on the board ASAP.

St Johnstone have received an injury boost with winger DJ Jaiyesimi and striker Nicky Clark returning to training after confirming they will appeal against centre-half Liam Gordon's weekend red card against Livingston. (The Courier), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Dara Costelloe has made Sportsence presenter, Jonathan Sutherland's, team of the week for his performance in St Johnstone's 1-1 draw with Livingston.

It was not a vintage weekend for strikers and he almost opted for the hugely controversial, seldom seen and much-maligned 4-6-0 formation...

But after much deliberation, he gave Costelloe - on loan from Burnley - the nod to lead the line after seizing his opportunity to score from range and, who knows, it could be a hugely valuable point for Saints come the end of the season...

Image source, Opta

Image source, BBC Sport

We asked for your views on St Johnstone's 1-1 draw with Livingston

Anon: I am 72 y/o, I have and always will be a Saintie, I have no interest in any other team/s, the team is trying their best and that's down to the manager but the results are bad, what we need is on match day a member of the supporters should be allowed to have a say in the dressing room and make it known to the team what the supporters want to see.

Stuart: Championship here we come. If our great hope is the fitness of Chris Kane as our number 9 we are doomed even if he does chip in with his annual 3 goals a season!!!

Anon: The manager talks a good game but he obviously is not getting through to the players. A clear out, manager and his coaching staff, is needed now. Fresh ideas needed. The players lack confidence, when Costelloe scored you could see the lift it gave them, unfortunately it was short lived.

BBC Scotland's Tyrone Smith at McDiarmid Park

Defender Luke Robinson believes it is "astounding" St Johnstone have not got better results so far this season.

Saints had to settle for a 1-1 home draw with Livingston on Saturday. That means they remain bottom of the Scottish Premiership, with just three points from their opening seven games.

Robinson said: "I have got so much belief in the group we have got inside, I see it day in, day out. As soon as I walk through the door, the belief and the drive the players have and the quality - it is actually astounding that we haven’t got the results that I thought we were going to get so far this season.

"Today was more of a dogfight and we have matched them and the quality has come through in the first half. The second half has just not gone our way and we know it is two halves that make a game. I honestly do have so much belief that the results will come and we will pick up a run very soon.

"When you are not getting the results, you don’t get any luck - whether that is penalties, deflections, cards, decisions - and you know you have to work even harder because it is not that anyone is against you, you just don’t get the luck - that is the moral of it."

St Johnstone manager Steven MacLean: "Really disappointed with the result, I felt we were totally in control at 1-0 and then the referee gives a penalty.

"And then it’s obviously one all and I felt that was the only way they were going to score, through set plays or something like that.

"I think our player shouldn’t make contact since it’s going out but, if I’m being honest, I just spoke to the referee and he says he’s impeded him. I watched, and he’s [the ref] probably 35 yards away from it, looking through a player, I don’t see what he’s given.

"He says he’s impeded him and made that arm motion, so I don’t understand what he means, I watched it back and I still don’t understand why the penalty has been given.

"I don’t think it’s a penalty if I’m being honest.

"I’ve only seen the sending off from one angle, I couldn’t comment, it doesn’t look like a sending off from our wide angle but I’ve not seen the others ones that VAR has used.

"Live it didn't look like one, it looked like a hard tackle, but I’ll need to see it back.

"I didn’t think we were good enough second half, the first half was total control and probably deserved a 2-0 lead."