Hamilton player-manager Martin Canning facing selection dilemma as they fight for Premiership survival 

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With their Premiership lives on the line and the small matter of a four-goal home thumping by Kilmarnock still lingering in the system, experience — and plenty of it — is a commodity Hamilton will need in abundance over the course of the next 10 days.

Having accrued more than 350 professional appearances, the temptation for Martin Canning, their player-manager, to reprise a role witnessed only three times this season is, by his own admission, pressing.

A trip to Dens Park on Saturday is followed by clashes with Inverness Caley Thistle and Partick Thistle. Preserving the four-point lead they hold over Kilmarnock is the order of the day for Accies.

Hamilton player-manager Martin Canning will be hoping to steer his side away from the relegation zone

But while few would take issue with Canning were he to take the practical step of selecting himself, the fact the 34-year-old last featured on February 13 is enough to keep his emotions in check.

‘My heart’s telling me every single minute of every single day to get back in the team and go and play,’ Canning said. ‘But then when I sit and think about it, my head tells me to wait a minute and be sensible.

‘I’m the manager of the team. It’s a crucial part of the season and I have a guy who hasn’t played all season. Are you really going to put him straight back in?

‘That’s my job. It’s part of the decision-making process. I’ve got to analyse it and get it as right as I can. My thought process is always thorough. I try not to let my heart make decisions for me. I try to think about it properly — then do the right thing.’

Canning (right) and his players during their 4-0 thumping against Kilmarnock last week

Such a level-headed approach seems to seep through to Canning’s players. After their two worst results of the season, a 4-1 defeat to Annan and an 8-1 loss to Celtic, it would have been easy for confidence to crash.

Yet the goalless draws with St Johnstone and Hearts they claimed next time out after those hidings spoke of the mental fortitude at the club.

For that reason, Canning fully expects last week’s home humiliation at the hands of Killie to quickly be consigned to history.

Canning has to decide whether or not to play himself with three games to play this season

‘I definitely think we can,’ Canning added. ‘It’s something we must do. From time to time, we’re going to get bad results and performances.

‘But it’s an honest group here. They know what’s expected. They’re a hard-working group. They know they’ve let themselves down on Saturday and let us down.

‘We know we’ll need to have a response on Saturday and I’ve no doubt there will be.’