Craig Levein ready for international break after ‘whirlwind’ start at Saints

Craig Levein believes the international break is arriving at the ideal time for his St Johnstone side.

The McDiarmid Park boss has got off to a great start after replacing Steven MacLean last week – picking up four points from six and lifting the team away from the foot of the cinch Premiership table.

A sublime Graham Carey effort helped Saints to a priceless 1-0 victory over Ross County on Saturday, completing a whirlwind week for their new manager.

“It comes at a really good time, the fact that everything just seems to be like a whirlwind,” he said

“We’ve had a lot of meetings and worked on the training ground but because we are playing games you don’t get the chance to have an extended period of time working on things.

“The break will give us plenty of time to implement more stuff if we can.”

Levein is hoping that he will not be without the services of Nicky Clark for an extended spell after the striker hobbled off with a calf injury in the second half of the win against County.

Clark has found the net three times in three appearances after returning from a nine-month spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury and Saints will now anxiously await the result of scans to determine the extent of the damage.

“I feel for him, looking at it, it’s not a disaster – I hope he’s tweaked his calf,” Levein added.

“We need to get the scans and all the rest of it, he’s not unable to put weight on it or anything like that – I don’t think it’s a disaster.

“I start to feel sorry for myself because I’ve not got him to play on the field – hopefully it’s nothing too serious and we’ll get him back in the next couple of weeks but I don’t know.”

Malky Mackay insists his side use the break to recharge their batteries after falling into the relegation play-off position following their defeat at St Johnstone.

County are without a win in their last eight league outings and suffered a first defeat in four away matches in losing to Saints.

“We’ve come off the back of five away games in six which is just the way it goes I suppose – there’s been a lot of travelling,” Mackay said.

“There’s obviously a tonne of games after the break as well and it will be pedal to the floor again after the break.

“It’ll give us the chance to reflect over the next few days, we’ve got a couple coming back from injury and Jimmy Brown coming back from suspension – three or four to come and help the group out.”