Partick Thistle striker Kris Doolan is out of tonight’s Betfred Cup clash with St Johnstone, and he faces a race against time to be fit for Friday night's showdown with Celtic at Firhill.

The Jags striker limped off in the first half of Thistle’s defeat to Hibs on Saturday, forcing 20-year-old Kevin Nisbet to deputise up front.

And while Archibald may keep faith with the youngster for tonight’s match at McDiarmid Park, he admits that he will be looking to bring in two attacking players as soon as possible.

“Kris is doing ok, but the physio thought that he will be out for about seven to 10 days, so he will probably miss the next two games,” Archibald said.

“He might have a chance for Friday actually because he’s not as sore today, but the initial thought was seven to 10 days and I’ve not really spoken to him since, I’m just letting him get on with it.

“It would be disappointing to lose him at any time, but it’s even worse now because we don’t have much cover.

“It’s a sore one, and it was a sore one at the time as well because he’s a good focal point for us, he’s always a threat and he’ll always get a chance in the box.

“But we’ve got to move on, and we’ve got other players there who will have to take part now.

“We’ve been actively trying to get someone in anyway, so it doesn’t really move that any quicker, but we just hope it happens quicker.”

When asked if the priority would be to bring in an out-and-out striker or a forward who could play across the attacking positions, Archibald said: “One striker and one to do both, so we need two. We’re definitely short two attacking players, and whatever one we get first we’ll take. It’s tough.”

The Thistle boss is mulling over how to set his team up for tonight’s fixture in Doolan’s absence, but Nisbet may be given the nod to prove himself after being thrown in at the deep end against Hibs.

“It will just be different personnel, we’ll have to go with what we’ve got,” he said.

“We’ve got young Kevin Nisbet who came on and did ok. I thought he could have done better, but he did ok and it was hard for him getting thrown on and he’ll be a bit more prepared for Tuesday night.

“We’ve got other personnel, Chris Erskine can play up top and Stevie Lawless can do it as well, so we’ll just have to make sure that if it is Kevin we go with, we get support and help up there to him, because he’s just a young lad making his way in the game.

“Kevin has got to learn quick, and now he’s going to have to learn on the job. He found that on Saturday when big (Efe) Ambrose, an experienced defender, came through the back of him a couple of times.

“We watched it back, we spoke about it and we analysed it, and it’s a learning curve for him, but this is what you want as a young boy.

“This is what you are waiting for, your chance when there is a few injuries and he’s got to try and take it.”

Archibald is wary of the threat posed at the other end by returning Saints attacker Michael O’Halloran, who scored a fine solo goal to bag the three points for his side against Kilmarnock at the weekend.

He is a player that the Jags boss admires, and one who he tried to bring to Firhill.

“We know how good a side they are,” he said. “I watched the game back from Saturday, and you saw the quality that Michael O’Halloran brought to the game, so it will be tough.

“We enquired [about him] in January along with the rest of the league I think, we were all interested.

“We made a small enquiry this season at the very start, and there was no movement on it."