Motherwell injury latest vs Dundee United as Stuart Kettlewell enthused by fan response to cup clash

Stuart KettlewellStuart Kettlewell
Stuart Kettlewell | Motherwell Times
Motherwell are in cup action this week against Dundee United.

Stuart Kettlewell says the spirit of Motherwell is on full display ahead of cup football coming back to ML1.

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A huge match awaits on Friday night against Dundee United at Fir Park. Kettlewell’s side are in the quarter-final stages of the Premier Sports Cup and winning against the Tannadice outfit would book a return to Hampden for a semi-final for the first time since season 2017/18, where they reached this competition’s final.

Volunteers and members of the Well Society, the club’s majority shareholder, have been handing out leaflets to households in the area promoting Friday night’s match. After a summer that was dominated by talk of external investment from Wild Sheep Sport, that eventually collapsed amid fan opposition, Kettlewell has been enthused by the build-up to the cup tie.

He said: “There’s been an awful lot documented on us being fan-owned and the potential external investment was a big story for a number of months. What we are is a fan-owned community club, I for one would love to celebrate that. What you start to see with initiatives like this one is the supporters are proud as punch of their team and town.

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“I think it’s another indication they want to celebrate that, and they want to make this place as noisy and as colourful as they possibly can on Friday. With the incentive of it being a cup quarter-final, it always does have that little bit of extra edge to it. When you haven’t been to Hampden and had that cup run in a number of years... you sense that supporters want to feel and experience it again.”

Having experienced silverware success as a player at Ross County and Brora Rangers, Kettlewell wants his players to have the appetite he had for glory when he was pulling on the boots. He explained: “I think sometimes we just look at the monetary aspect of football.

“I was brought in a simpler time with a simpler mindset, that your career is defined by success. All the good things in football e.g. money, contracts and all that happens off the back of success.

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“I wasn’t the greatest player in the world but I am proud of the medals I was able to win, promotions and various things I have achieved. Those are the things I am most proud of so it’s trying to get players in that same mindset and that thought process tends to breed success as you have a real hunger for it.

“There’s no substitute for those memories and bits of success. Silverware was and still is in mind the most important thing and what every single football player, coach should be striving for. On Friday, we give ourselves a chance to take another step in that journey.”

On the injury front, none of the players who have been dealing with longer-term problems are expected back, but Kettlewell says three men are nearing returns. When asked if any of the players who have been injured have a chance of game time on Friday night, he responded: “The honest answer is no. I think we’re getting ever so close with Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, Shane Blaney and Johnny Koutroumbis.

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“Johnny is still that wee bit further away because he’s missed a bit more football. But they haven’t done any contact, haven't been involved in any contact within training. We’re hoping they get to that in the next day or so, possibly Thursday with all three if not a couple of them. So, probably not ready for Friday but definitely edging closer.”

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