Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson has no concerns about Jake Hastie’s temperament as he prepares to face Rangers.
The Ibrox club were understood to be one of a number of clubs to approach Hastie over a summer move, but reports this week claimed they had dropped their interest after being frustrated over the time the winger is taking to decide on his future.
The 20-year-old has shown no sign of being affected by the speculation and netted his seventh goal in 15 Motherwell games this year during a 3-1 defeat against Aberdeen in midweek.
And Robinson is unfazed by the prospect of putting Hastie in against Rangers at Fir Park on Sunday.
“He was only linked by you guys,” Robinson told a media conference. “Apparently he signed three weeks ago and now he’s not signed.
“I don’t need to speak to Jake. If Jake is tired after three games in a week, he won’t play.
“If he’s going to contribute to Motherwell winning a football match, like every other player, then they’ll play. Other players have been linked with other clubs so it’s certainly not just Jake Hastie. I’m sure plenty of people will be coming to watch our players again.
“I don’t care about the speculation, I don’t care who they are linked with, they are contracted to Motherwell.”
Robinson is confident there will be no drop-off in standards after midweek results consigned them to a bottom-six finish.
And he feels his players will be out to prove themselves in the televised clash. Motherwell drew 3-3 with Rangers at Fir Park in their fourth Ladbrokes Premiership game of the season before getting Carl McHugh sent off in a 7-1 defeat at Ibrox.
On their first meeting, Robinson said: “It was so early on the in the season, I think we are eight players different from that squad. We have got a lot more energy, a lot more pace.
“And the other lesson is don’t get sent off, because it was 1-1 at that stage.
“But we know Rangers have improved massively, they have a lot of talented boys who can win games.
“But so have we. We will go into the game really confident, we will take the game to them as we did away to Aberdeen.
“I am looking forward to the game and looking forward to our younger players and players who have come to the fore stepping up and showing people what they can do.”
Motherwell have 21-year-old former Airdrie goalkeeper Rohan Ferguson on standby if Mark Gillespie fails to shake off a dead leg.
“He has a large amount of experience of playing games in the lower levels,” Robinson said. “If it comes to it we are confident to put him in and another young boy will get his opportunity.”
