This is an excerpt from this week's Claret and Amber Alert, a free Motherwell newsletter written by Graeme McGarry that goes out every Thursday at 6pm. To sign up, click here.

Rumours that the current strain on NHS Lanarkshire services are being caused chiefly by an influx of patients from the Fir Park area may be exaggerated, but not by much.

The news that club captain Paul McGinn is not only back in Motherwell’s overcrowded treatment room but will likely remain there for the rest of the season is a huge blow for the club and the fans, but chiefly for McGinn himself.

The influence that McGinn has around the club and on the team when he is playing shouldn’t be underestimated, and his absence for a large part of the campaign even before picking up this latest injury at Easter Road last week was felt deeply.

And you would have had to have been heartless - or worse, an Airdrie fan - not to have felt deep sympathy for McGinn as he trooped off the pitch last week in tears, knowing full well himself in the moment that he faced another lengthy spell on the sidelines.

There has been much said in recent weeks and many grumbles over the style of play under Stuart Kettlewell at Motherwell, particularly as results have tapered off and away performances in particular have been far from easy on the eye.

(Image: Ross Parker - SNS Group) Admittedly, I would rather pour bleach into mine than watch a re-run of the game at Rugby Park or the dreadful first half showing against Hibs, but in mitigation, I don’t think you can dismiss the injury issues that Motherwell are facing.

Aston Oxborough was an unwelcome addition to that list at the weekend, forcing an emergency call to Archie Mair, who was flung in at the last minute at Easter Road. The manager has now confirmed the keeper could be out for three months.

More significantly when it comes to the football that Motherwell are able to produce, Kettlewell has been without the likes of McGinn, Callum Slattery, Lennon Miller and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos for large parts of the season.

Outside of Tawanda Maswanhise, those are probably the most technically proficient players at the club. So, when they are missing, not only is the level of football on show likely to suffer, so too are the results.

In fairness to Kettlewell’s critics, I do agree that the football hasn’t always exactly been easy on the eye at times even when some of these players have been in the team, but the manager has had to deal with such disruption to his line-up almost on a weekly basis.

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On top of that, he has also therefore had to rather whip the guys who are fit, with a statistic surfacing last week that showed Ewan Wilson, for instance, had accumulated the most minutes of any under 21 player in the league this season, with Miller not far behind him.

That has been apparent in Wilson’s recent performances, with the youngster looking jaded against Kilmarnock and being hooked at half time against Hibs having been culpable at both goals Motherwell had conceded.

Wilson has had a terrific debut season overall, and deserves huge credit for the way he has turned his fledgling career around. Inarguably, he could do with a rest, but with Steve Seddon also injured (and now perhaps ruled out for the next two months), he may be asked to go to the well again when the team visit McDiarmid Park on Scottish Cup duty.

There are reasons to be hopeful though for Motherwell fans making the trip to Perth. Firstly, Slattery being back in the mix is a huge boost, with his free kick at Easter Road last week a welcome reminder of the quality he possesses.

(Image: SNS Group)

Secondly, the Steelmen have already defeated St Johnstone twice this season, both by the same 2-1 scoreline. The scenes at McDiarmid Park as Moses Ebiye helped Dan Casey’s header over the line in the dying moments back in September will live long in the memory.

And lastly, having covered the Saints’ visit to Ibrox on Sunday, I can confirm that their defence is currently – with the greatest of respect – an absolute shambles.

So, as ‘Well fans always do when it comes to the opening round of the Scottish Cup, there are plenty of reasons to travel in hope. With over 1400 tickets already sold at the time of writing, a win here could be just the fillip a promising season that is currently in danger of petering out requires.

A loss, and I am willing to wager that St Johnstone won’t have to worry about opening up an extra stand next week when Motherwell come calling again on league duty.

But let’s think positively. Altogether now – “She wore, she wore…”

AND ANOTHER THING… While I’m on the subject, the decision to sell tickets for the smaller Main Stand away section at McDiarmid Park before having to open up the old traditional away end behind the goals for this game was baffling.

For a standard league game, the ‘Well support could be accommodated there, sure, but St Johnstone must have known that a huge following would travel for the club’s opening Scottish Cup tie.

Now, we will have fans spread across two stands, which will clearly be detrimental to the atmosphere in a ground where it is hard to generate one at the best of times.

With Motherwell currently housing away fans up the top of the Tommy McLean Stand, I realise there is an element of sitting in a glasshouse throwing stones here, but with a little better communication and foresight, surely this situation could have been avoided.