Kilmarnock defender Mark Connolly ruled out for season

Connolly suffered a broken collarbone in the 3-3 draw at Inverness on Saturday.

He is set to see a specialist but boss Gary Locke doesn’t expect him to feature in the rest of the campaign.

Locke said: “It’s a nightmare for us because he’s had an outstanding season.

“He has broken his collarbone so it looks like his season is probably over.”

While Connolly is definitely out of Killie’s clash at St Johnstone this weekend, Manuel Pascali will be available.

Killie believed Pascali would be banned after picking up his sixth booking of the season against Dundee United on February 14.

But as one of his cautions was in the League Cup, he is still available for league duty.

Locke added: “We’ve had a wee bit of luck there. I thought we would be without him this weekend but he’ll be available and that’s great news for us, especially with Mark being out and Lee Ashcroft out as well.”

Teenage defender David Syme replaced the injured Connolly, and Locke was thrilled with the 17-year-old’s display.

He added: “David has done fantastically well for the under-20s this year. I’ve watched him a lot and due to injuries he’s got his opportunity.

“I was delighted with the way he did. It’s never easy coming on in a game, especially up against someone like Marley Watkins who has been around the block and knows the game.

“David acquitted himself well playing alongside Manuel, who certainly helped him through the game.”