MORTON boss Jim Duffy is facing a selection headache for this evening’s Ladbrokes Championship match away to Dumbarton.

In-form left full-back Jack Iredale is definitely ruled out of the game due to a groin problem.

And to compound Duffy’s woes three players — skipper Thomas O’Ware, Scott Tiffoney and Bob McHugh — are all at the centre of injury scares.

In Tiffoney’s case, the youngster has a back problem, which resulted in him dropping to the bench at the weekend, while defender O’Ware is nursing an ankle issue, picked up in the wake of Saturday’s clash at Palmerston.

McHugh is nursing an ankle knock sustained on the Palmerston astro-grass surface.

As a result Duffy will leave his team selection until right up to the last minute in order to give his stars the chance to recover in time.

He told Tele Sport: “To be honest, Jack is struggling. He had an abductor injury, so we don’t know how long it’s going to be. He’s certainly not available for tonight.

“Scott Tiffoney wasn’t 100 per cent fit, he’s had a problem with his back all week and only trained lightly towards the end of the week.

“Thomas O’Ware rolled his ankle, so we’ll see how he is as well.

“If it was Saturday I wouldn’t have any doubt he’d be fine, but with the game tonight we’ll just have to assess it.

“And Bob McHugh is the same. He jarred his ankle as well.

“So there are a few bumps and bruises, which you get, but with the games coming so quickly on top of each other then you have to give them as much time as we possibly can to see if they’re capable of being involved.

“So it will be last-minute decisions on those three boys — Tam, Bob and Tiff — but Jack’s definitely out.”

Another player who initially gave cause for concern was wide midfielder Frank Ross.

However, the signs are much better that the on-loan Aberdeen star will be able to feature this evening.

Duffy revealed: “Frankie’s okay. I think he just felt his muscles tighten.

“Again, the way the game was going on Saturday, he was doing a lot of work, chasing back down the pitch and that pitch is a bit unforgiving. There’s not too much cushion for players. His muscles were a bit tight, really, he’s fine.”

Tonight’s opponents earned a place in the Irn Bru Cup final following their 2-1 win over The New Saints down in Oswestry at the weekend, their first major cup final appearance in more than 120 years.

And Duffy warned that the Sons will want that feel-good factor to continue tonight. He said: “It was an outstanding result. Congratulations to Stevie Aitken and his team.

“To go away down there and play against a team who are a good side and to come back up as victors — and get to the final — I’m sure it’s made the atmosphere a lot more buoyant and pleasant.

“And they’ll be going into the game on a much more positive note, no question about that.

“They scored two outstanding goals from Danny Handling and Dimitrios Froxylias, two goals good enough to win any game. That will make them tougher.

“They’ll also have some players available that weren’t available for the cup tie the other week as well, so they’ll be stronger, no question about that.”

Ton dumped the Sons out of the William Hill Scottish Cup less than a fortnight ago and Duffy is seeking another victory that would extend his side’s unbeaten streak to six.

He said: “Their desire will be to close that gap [at the drop zone]. Our intention is to try to keep up at the right end of the table.”

Duffy added: “It’s about trying to keep that decent run going and that’s what we’ll try to do.

“The more games you remain undefeated then of course, the better, and that belief filters through — even if you have injuries.”