Steven Hammell admits an injury to new Motherwell signing Mikael Mandron was a distraction for his side as the game plan they worked on all week to face St Mirren went out the window.
The Steelmen were dealt a double blow before kick-off with the news Mandron picked up an injury in the final moments of Friday's training session and fellow new recruit Riku Danzaki couldn't feature as his international clearance was yet to go through.
It put a big dent in the Steelmen's preparations and firepower was sorely lacking as they went down 1-0 in Paisley, thanks to a first-half strike from ex-Well frontman Curtis Main.
Mandron - who had netted a double on his first start last week - could now be a doubt for Wednesday night's crunch clash at home to St Johnstone and Hammell revealed: "We put a lot of work in this week about playing with two strikers and then Mika gets injured.
"He's looked fantastic since he has been here but he gets injured in the last couple of minutes of trying yesterday, a really innocuous injury.
"That's been a frustrating thing for us this season.
"That's nine first team players we don't have available to us, especially that type [of player].
"With the amount of preparation we had put into today to play a certain way today, for it to change last minute was a distraction that we didn't need.
"We were hopeful that he [Riku Danzaki] was going to be involved today as well.
"We've not really had our problems to seek."
On the extent of Mandron's injury, Hammell added: "We don't know yet. We are hoping to find out later today or tomorrow.
"Hopefully it is not too bad because he has been someone we have needed and he's come in and done well.
"For him not to be available today is a massive frustration."
The Steelmen are sitting joint-bottom of the Premiership after the defeat as one of four teams all on 20 points, joining Kilmarnock, Ross County and Dundee United, who face Celtic tomorrow.
Hammell hopes he can strengthen his squad further for the relegation battle they are now embroiled in, having added Olly Crankshaw alongside Danzaki and Mandron.
He said: "The players we have brought in have come in and done well for us.
"It has provided competition for places within the group and that was much needed.
"There still could be more and hopefully we get a couple of players back.
"At the end of the game today we are looking to see what attacking options we can make to go and get after the game.
"We created enough and at the end we should have scored, but that's been the story of how it has gone for us so far."
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