LEE Kilday admits he hopes team-mates Thomas O’Ware and Ricki Lamie return to action soon — to give Morton the best chance of sorting out a proper defensive structure for the start of the new season.

Kilday is out of action for the foreseeable future with an ankle issue but O’Ware and Lamie are closer to fitness than their skipper. 

The 25-year-old believes the recovery of his fellow defenders is important for a successful start to the new Championship campaign.

The defender knows manager Jim Duffy will be perplexed by his lack of centre-backs, and says the sooner his team-mates are back to help out, the better.

He told the Tele: “I can imagine the gaffer must be really frustrated because he’s got injuries to all four centre-halves. You would never expect all your defenders to be out at the one time, so it’ll be frustrating for him.

“He brought Connor McManus in last weekend, who is a centre-mid, to play out of position at the back and to be fair to Connor I thought he did well. It was a hard game to come in for his first game. 

“It’s just one of those freak things to lose all defenders, I don’t think it’ll happen again.

“But we can’t get a defensive structure at the moment, and hopefully at least Thomas and Ricki can be back soon.”