INVERNESS Caley Thistle has been struck by a double injury blow as the club prepares for its assault on the SPL top six.
Graeme Shinnie is likely to miss the remainder of the season, while fellow youngster Nick Ross has been struck down by a virus.
Inverness manager Terry Butcher left Ross out of Saturday's 1-0 loss to Dundee Utd and withdrew the 19-year-old from the Scotland U21 squad ahead of their friendly in Belgium today.
Meanwhile Shinnie has undergone hospital treatment for a stomach problem and boss Butcher is reluctant to rush him back.
Terry told the Inverness Courier: "Nick was exhausted after the Scottish Cup tie against Celtic due to a virus and was very poorly.
"Hopefully, along with one or two of the boys, the break will give him the chance to recharge his batteries and mean he's ready to face Celtic.
"Graeme was there at the Celtic game and it was great to see him. He's lost a bit of weight after being in hospital, but he's recovering and I know he's desperate to get back involved.
"However, we have to be extremely careful with him. It's important that when he does come back he is right.
"It could be the case that he misses the rest of the season to make sure he's right for the next campaign, but it could be that if we feel happy then he may feature before the season finishes, we'll just have to see."
