Mark McGhee says that Motherwell’s injury woes should have eased by the time they face Hearts at Fir Park this Saturday.

The depleted Steelmen were without experienced first-team players like Keith Lasley, Stephen McManus and Stevie Hammell as they were heavily defeated by Ross County at the weekend.

Although McGhee refused to use those injuries an excuse for ‘Well’s abject performance, he admitted he was relieved to have options again.

“I think they will all be available,” he told MFCTV.

“They’ve trained and most of them will play in the under-20s game on Tuesday to give them that bit of game-time. They should be available for Hearts barring any setbacks between now and then.

“That will give me more options on the shape, it will give me more options on the personnel and it will give those on the park a little bit of help in terms of the experience that those boys will bring.

“We were almost forced to play the way we did (against Ross County) with the two wingers because of the absence of the likes of Lasley, Joe Chalmers, Hammell and McManus, so there were certain things we couldn’t do anything about.

“I think the ones that did play though could have done a lot, lot better, so I was disappointed in that respect.

“We struggled throughout to contain them and we were lacking in all areas, so it was a hugely disappointing performance and obviously a disappointing result.

“We’ve spoken about it in the dressing room and there are basic errors that are costing us dear. We can’t afford that and they’ve got to improve. But it’s all part of the learning process for me.

“Stephen McManus is a big loss because the two young lads need someone like him playing in beside them, and the loss of Lasley meant that I didn’t have the option of going with a midfield three. With two in there it leaves you a little bit loose in the middle of the park and it makes it difficult for the two boys in there.

“If we look at the performance then the most important thing is that we’ve got to improve, so we’ve got to get the sleeves rolled up in training, get working and the likes of Louis Laing and Kieran Kennedy have got to be looking to become better centre-halves than they showed today.

“I think we were very poor and I thought we were well beaten.”