Preview: Motherwell vs. Ross County - prediction, team news, lineups

Ross County travel to Fir Park on Saturday as they face Motherwell, attempting to win their first game of the season in order to climb away from the relegation zone.

The hosts have not lost in the league since the opening day and have the potential to go top depending on other results this weekend.

Match preview

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Despite a rocky start on the opening day of the season when they threw away the lead twice to be defeated by Hibernian, Motherwell have made an impressive start to this campaign.

Currently sitting in fourth place and just two points behind current league leaders Rangers, Graham Alexander's squad have proven themselves to be one of the stronger outfits in the Scottish Premiership.

Since the loss to Hibs, Motherwell have drawn twice and won three times in the division, and although they were knocked out of the Scottish League Cup in the second round, there is a lot of confidence within the group at the moment.

The Steelmen will fancy their chances this weekend against a club that have been struggling defensively, with no team having conceded more goals (13) than Ross County in the league so far.

On the other hand, Motherwell have been solid at the back as of late, having only let in one goal in their last three games, which took place against Steven Gerrard's Rangers.

That was the last outing that Alexander's men had, taking place last weekend when they held the defending champions to a 1-1 draw, fighting from behind to rescue a point.

Motherwell proved that they were not willing to give up on the game after the Gers took the lead in the 12th minute, and Kaiyne Woolery was on hand to level things up in order to earn his team a point.

The Staggies also drew in their most recent performance when they played Hearts, although they did throw away a lead as the match finished 2-2, after a brace from Blair Spittal had put them ahead.

This marked the third time that Ross County have had to share the points this season, which is one of the reasons they find themselves in 11th place, as they have been unable to turn their closely fought matches into victories.

After finishing 10th last season, just three points above the relegation zone, Malky Mackay does have work to do in order to get his team in a stronger position.

However, Motherwell were a team that Ross County enjoyed playing against during that campaign, having beaten them in both league matches, which is something the squad will be keen to repeat.

Team News

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Alexander brought Stephen O'Donnell back into the team for the 1-1 draw with Rangers, with the return of the club captain forcing a slight change to the starting lineup as Bevis Mugabi played as a central defender.

Motherwell were without Sondre Johansen for the game due to a minor injury and he will face a fight to get fit in order to feature on Saturday.

Jack Baldwin retained his place in the team for Ross County last weekend, despite the fact that Mackay opted to go for a back three, showcasing the trust that the manager has in him.

Alex Samuel was an unused substitute in the draw, although the new signing does remain an attacking option for the team that are struggling for goals overall.

On-loan midfielder Alexander Robertson was brought on during the match against Hearts, although it is expected that Spittal will keep his place in the starting XI after scoring twice.

Motherwell possible starting lineup:
Kelly; O'Donnell, Mugabi, Ojala, McGinley; O'Hara, Slattery, Grimshaw; Woolery, Van Veen, Watt

Ross County possible starting lineup:
Maynard-Brewer; Baldwin, Lacovitti, Paton; Burroughs, Spittal, Tillson, Paton, Callachan; Charles-Cook, White

We say: Motherwell 2-0 Ross County

Ross County have struggled defensively this season and that could provide an opportunity for Motherwell to exploit as the Steelmen look to push further up the league table.

Graham Alexander's squad are full of confidence and momentum right now, and that is going to be difficult for the Staggies to deal with.