JIM McAlister has revealed he’s had a bacterial infection for over a month and played through the pain to play for the Morton.

The Ton skipper was diagnosed with a stomach bug called helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach pains, nausea, fatigue and if left untreated can lead to stomach ulcers.

The 32-year-old first felt the effects of the bug before Morton’s 2-1 win over Ross County back on August 25, but has played every minute of every game since then, despite struggling to train some days because of exhaustion.

The bug is difficult to identify, but after being diagnosed with it this week and being prescribed medication, the midfielder is hoping he’s over the worst of it and can be back to normal when the Ton take on Falkirk next week.

He told the Tele: “It’s been something that’s been ongoing for the last month with my stomach.

“I only found out my diagnosis from the club doctor this week, I’ve had a bacterial infection in my stomach and it’s been causing havoc with my energy levels.

“The last month has been a bit of a struggle even training some days, I felt I had nothing in my legs.

“I tried to just charge around and get through training days and feel better, and thankfully I’ve been able to get through all the games in between.”

With a weekend off for Morton with the international break, McAlister admits a Saturday off has come at an ideal time for him.

He added: “The way I’ve been feeling it has come at a good time. 

“Hopefully I can recharge the batteries over the weekend and I’ll be raring to go next week.”

Heading into the international break, the former Blackpool and Dundee player felt it was vital to bounce back from the recent heavy defeat to Ayr United.

After earning a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Inverness Caley Thistle in the Highlands, the Rothesay native thought the usual commitment and hard work from Morton was back to normal.

McAlister said: “The Ayr game is probably one of the strangest games I’ve ever played in because right up until the second goal we felt comfortable.

“We played well in the second half and there’s no justification for the way the game went in the last 20 minutes, that shouldn’t happen and it’s as simple as that.

“But I thought it was important to get a good response up against Inverness and respond in the right way. 

“That was important going forward that we saw a positive reaction.

“It was important for us heading into the break that we went up and competed against Inverness, which we did. It’s a game that could have gone either way. It gives us a platform to kick on against Falkirk next week.”