Fraser ready to defy doctor's orders

Marcus Fraser is set to ignore doctor's advice and rush back from injury in an effort to help St Mirren's survival battle.

The defender's season appeared to be over after he suffered a dislocated shoulder and then underwent surgery in mid-March, but interim manager Craig McLeish revealed the 31-year-old has made himself available to face Dundee on Saturday.

The Buddies are just two points above second-bottom Kilmarnock with four games to go, starting at Dens Park.

"We just need to be careful with him because he's not at the bit yet where the specialist is happy with how his injury's properly healed," McLeish said.

"He's probably a couple of weeks away for that. The type of boy Marcus is, he's made himself available for selection and he's happy to take part and contribute.

"We can't have enough people like that around the building. It's a fantastic attitude. He's a big personality around the place, he's a big part of our group.

"He's been training now for maybe two weeks, where we've had to be careful with him and be non-contact.

"He's seen the specialist and, I don't mind saying this, he's been advised not to play for the rest of the season, but he's happy to be involved and take a little bit of that risk on as well.

"That's now up to me to balance that, but just his attitude and his willingness to be there and fight with us, that has to spread around the group as well."

Fraser's potential return comes after Jonah Ayunga suffered cruciate ligament damage for the second time in his St Mirren career, and his second major injury of the season, with his contract set to expire.

"We all feel for him," McLeish said. "He's been through it before. It's his other knee this time but it's the same injury, so it's like a double-edged sword.

"He knows that he can come back from it and he can come back strong, but he also knows what he now faces, a lengthy time out and frustrating periods through rehab."

St Mirren remain without goalkeeper Shamal George, which means loan signing Ross Sinclair will continue in the team at Dens Park.

The 24-year-old is determined to seize his unexpected opportunity after sitting on the bench throughout St Johnstone's Championship title-winning season and with his contract due to expire.

Sinclair said: "It gives me an opportunity to play games to hopefully show people what I can do and then we can take my career from there.

"Hopefully, something comes at St Johnstone but if something doesn't come at St Johnstone then hopefully it puts me in the shop window, worst case scenario. I will just focus on the job I need to do here at St Mirren."