STEPHEN ROBINSON has revealed James McFadden could be called upon this afternoon to help Motherwell's survival mission.

The Well assistant has played for the club's Under-20s twice this week as he steps up his pursuit of full fitness having not played for the first-team since October.

Ross County are the visitors to Fir Park this afternoon with Motherwell desperate for three points to climb out of the Ladbrokes Premiership relegation zone.

McFadden exclusively revealed in SportTimes yesterday he felt he was able to make a difference, nd the Motherwell manager has now said his No.2 will be waiting in the wings if he's needed to ensure the Steelmen grab a much-needed victory.

Robinson said: "We are low on numbers. Stephen Pearson hasn’t trained all week. Steven Hammell pulled out of training yesterday but we’re certain he’ll be okay.

"James has played some games now. He is just trying to get back to fitness to give us another option. We know he is not going to start the game, but we know the quality he has.

"Faddy came through unscathed. If we do use him on the bench, he would come on for ten or 15 minutes to try and get us a bit of ownership of the game."

Motherwell don't need much in the way of inspiration going into what is a monumental run of four games.

Now under a fan ownership model with the Well Society involved in the running of the club, relegation from the top-flight would hit this Lanarkshire institution hard if the team's upturn in results didn't arrive.

Earlier this week Raith Rovers manager John Hughes stressed that backroom staff could loss their jobs if the worst was to happen, and he even suggested he was going to let the long-serving Stark's Park kitman do the team talk ahead of this afternoon's game against Ayr.

While Robinson didn't quite go that far, he said a frank message was delivered to his own group of players earlier this week.

"We’ve got people in the kitchens, people who clean their boots, people who make sure everything is ready to go," he said.

"As a player – and I was one – you don’t see that. We have asked them show a wee bit of humility and respect around the place and that we do it for them.

"We realise the implications of being in the play-off place and the effect that has on the support staff. It is about putting bread on the table.

"As John Hughes pointed out in his interview, we are the ones who can affect the situation.

"Could I see the message getting through? Most definitely.

"With the vast majority of people at this club, there is a real affinity with the staff. We all eat dinner together. There is no them and us.

"There are people who have been here for years and who have a real passion for the club. It is their life. If that doesn’t pull on your heart-strings and motivate you, you probably shouldn’t be at the club."

Robinson has introduced a different element to training this week with preparations taking place on the lush Fir park pitch. He hopes it will be enough to cut the gap to visitors County to just a point.

He added: “We’ve trained on the pitch – it’s superb and it doesn’t half give you confidence. Training is sharper and livelier.

“The boys enjoyed a change of scenery and we’ve had a good week’s preparation.

“It’s a time where you can’t pretend that there’s no nerves – but if we show the desire and commitment since I’ve been here we then have to deal with things as they happen on the pitch."