GARY TEALE is set to hand St Mirren skipper Steven Thompson a starting place for tomorrow night's crunch clash with Partick Thistle.

The talisman missed most of the first half of the season due to a groin injury and only managed six games back before being forced under the knife to correct a hernia problem.

Thompson's recuperation has gone to plan with the forward returning to training last week.

And Teale feels the 36-year-old is ready to lead the line again as Saints attempt to haul themselves away from bottom side Ross County and leapfrog 10th-placed Motherwell at Firhill.

He said: "He trained a couple of days last week and he's been clear this week so that will help us.

"Hopefully that's him back now. Thommo missed a big part of the season so fingers crossed he will get an injury-free run until the end of the season. He's a big player for us, we have missed him, to have him back and available is a big boost.

"Stevie big personality. You want all your players available, so to have him back among everybody is great. You look to try and get anything you can to get an edge and lift the spirits, so to have him back is another step in the right direction."

While Teale welcomes Thompson back into the fold, he knows he will not have the services of new striker Yoann Arquin to call upon.

The Martinique man was sent off for the second time in the space of a week on Saturday as the Buddies went down 2-1 at home to Dundee.

And Teale revealed he has spoken with his player, who was dismissed for a second booking for diving, to try and lift him after a bumpy start to his time in Paisley.

"I've told him to be a bit more careful," said the St Mirren caretaker, who saw Arquin's first red overturned last week.

"For me they were very harsh, maybe there is an opportunities for referees because of the way he left his foot hanging in there, but you need to try and lift him up.

"I don't think it was a dive. I'm not sure how much contact there was but for me he's not trying to win a penalty given the nature of the fall and how he goes down. For me, it suggests there was no hint of trying to cheat or con the referee.

"We need to draw a line under it now and move on.

"But he's been great in training and it's unfortunate he's not available this weekend. Hopefully when we get this over with he can kick on and it gives us option along with Thommo."