Motherwell manager Stephen Robinson feels his squad is even stronger for the second half of the season after the Steelmen resumed their campaign with a 3-0 win at Dundee.
Christopher Long’s hat-trick at Dens Park saw Motherwell safely into the William Hill Scottish Cup fifth round.
Robinson rested Liam Grimshaw, took Jermaine Hylton off after half an hour following a recent illness and handed Mikael Ndjoli a debut off the bench.
The Well boss also had Liam Donnelly, Christy Manzinga and Christian Ilic at his disposal following hamstring injuries with the former making his comeback off the bench.
Charles Dunne could be back from a groin injury in the next three weeks while David Turnbull is back running following his summer knee surgery.
Robinson, whose team face Aberdeen in a Ladbrokes Premiership top-four contest on Wednesday, said: “Jermaine was ill, he only travelled to Tenerife… Thursday, Friday, Saturday with us.
“We thought he had recovered fully. He is a boy who can win games on his own with his talent but after 15 or 20 minutes he was struggling a little bit. When we went 2-0 up you take no chances, get him off and ready for the next two games.
“I kept Liam Donnelly back for another couple of days, I thought we had the quality to come here and win. So he adds to us.
“We have Christian Ilic and Casper Sloth starting to make an impression.
“So I feel the squad is stronger in the second half than it was in the first half of the season.”
Motherwell started well and were two up before the half-hour mark, but the edge had been taken off the cup contest even before kick-off with the visiting support outnumbering the home fans in a 2,407 crowd and making their presence felt.
“I thought they were absolutely fantastic,” Robinson said. “To come out Saturday night, 7.20pm, a strange kick-off, for them to travel up when it’s on TV as well, fantastic.
“They have been like that all season and they have been superb with me as well, and I’m glad we could give them a result.”
