JACKIE McNAMARA hopes Scott Fox will be fit enough to line up for Partick Thistle against Ross County this weekend – but the Jags boss admits his regular first-choice keeper is not guaranteed a starting berth.

Fox sustained a hand injury in training last Friday and was forced to sit out Thistle's 5-0 thrashing of bottom of the table Queen of the South on Saturday, with youngster Ryan Scully taking his place between the sticks.

The kid keeper had little to do against a poor Queens side as he collected a clean sheet and McNamara faces a selection dilemma ahead of the clash against Derek Adams' First Division champions-elect at Firhill.

He said: "Scott was injured in training last week, it was just an accident. He went to save a shot and one of the lads has caught him on the hand. Hopefully he will be okay soon.

"I do have a problem now with Ryan keeping a clean sheet on Saturday, but that is a good situation to be in.

"I said to him before the game to go out and give me a problem and I thought he did well. Everything he had to do, he did well.

"I have got a big decision to make for the Ross County game as to who plays in goal and then who plays at the back because we have Aaron Sinclair and Scott Robertson suspended unfortunately."

Victory at Palmerston saw Thistle retain fourth place in the First Division as they look to finish McNamara's first season in the dugout as 'best of the rest'.

But County head to Firhill knowing they are just a handful of points away from clinching the title and booking their place in the SPL for next term.

The Staggies have lost just once this season and McNamara knows his side can't afford to get ahead of themselves.

He said: "It's important that we don't get carried away by the Queens result.

"After a similarly good result earlier in the season we came back down to earth with a bang in our next fixture and our next match against Ross County is going to be a very difficult one."