Barry Wilson backs Caley Thistle manager Billy Dodds' claim that injury nightmares have hit consistency for the Inverness club in the cinch Championship
Barry Wilson insists this season’s barrage of injury setbacks has played a huge part in Caley Thistle’s erratic Championship form.
The club legend and first team coach knows manager Billy Dodds has faced a no-win situation in terms of whether to cite the extraordinary casualty list as a contributor to on-field difficulties, with a section of critical supporters viewing the assertion as an excuse.
Wilson, though, has no doubts as to the veracity of the claim.
At one stage this season, Caley Thistle had double figure numbers sidelined through injury, with the persistent problems and constant changes to line-ups contributing to inconsistency in results.
Roddy MacGregor’s setback in limping off the field in the defeat to Queen’s Park at the weekend was just the latest blow.
Wilson stressed: “I think injuries have made it very difficult to find consistency, but sometimes when we come out and say that, it’s just looked upon as us making excuses.
“For example, we came up with a winning formula against Ayr and Kilmarnock, and then all of a sudden we needed to change that again because Sean Welsh got injured.
“Within the dynamics of the team, the formation had to change slightly because of one player.
“We have not been able to get a steady run of team selections.
“We just won two really good games, and played well against Ayr away and really well against Kilmarnock at home, and then we had to change.
“We have now got another couple from Saturday who are touch and go for Friday.
“With Roddy now out, there’s a path there for someone. We have Ben Woods coming back, and young Lewis Hyde, who has been waiting patiently, has never let us down.
“We have got a few injuries again, having had them just about all cleared up.
“It has been frustrating.
“There has been a lack of consistency in performance, but there has been a lack of consistency in selection.”
There remains uncertainty over 21-year-old midfielder MacGregor’s recurrence of ankle trouble that kept him sidelined for five months.
MacGregor has not had his injury troubles to seek in the last couple of seasons.
He missed almost four months of last season and then, after making his comeback, suffered a fractured jaw after Caley Thistle’s first Premiership play-off match.
As well as crucial league games looming, MacGregor will be sweating over his chances of being fit for the Hampden Park showdown with Falkirk at the end of April.
Wilson, preparing for Partick Thistle’s televised visit in the league on Friday night, said: “Roddy felt something in his ankle go again.
“We are hopeful it’s nothing as serious as before. It’s probably something he will have to get looked at by the doctor or surgeon.
“We are waiting to hear back on that one.
“It was devastating for Roddy and really disappointing for us as well.
“The kid has worked so hard to get back fit, and we were looking forward to getting him back in the team, but it got taken away from us again.
“It pretty much summed up a lot of our season, where it has been one step forward and two steps back at times.”
