Peter Grant says injury problems have made it impossible for him to rest key players struggling with knocks. Midfielder Dickson Etuhu has been carrying a foot injury which has required injections to get him through matches - but Grant has been unable to leave him out because of a shortage of fit players.

By CHRIS LAKEY

Peter Grant says injury problems have made it impossible for him to rest key players struggling with knocks.

Midfielder Dickson Etuhu has been carrying a foot injury which has required injections to get him through matches - but Grant has been unable to leave him out because of a shortage of fit players.

“You don't get the time now to give him a rest and with injuries coming in other positions where you would like to leave other boys out I just can't afford to do that,” said Grant.

“You saw that with the bench we had last week - I had a lot of guys on who hadn't played in eight or nine weeks, so that was a bit of a problem for me.”

Grant said the Etuhu injury had left him in a Catch 22 situation.

“It's a difficult one,” he said. “Dickson has just been desperate to play, but I am always conscious with injections. If you have got to take too many it means you are not playing at full capacity.

“I think you can see that sometimes with him - sometimes he says he can't feel the ball because of the pain in his foot, so it is a Catch 22 situation with him.

“He is an important player for us. I know his performances have not been of the standard he has set when I came here first, but he is still a big influence on the team.

“I felt, and I still feel, he can be a big influence in the team so he is a very important player for me and I just hope he gets over this wee knock.”