MOTHERWELL boss Maurice Malpas has urged his fringe players to prove their worth against Aberdeen tonight amid a sweeping injury crisis at Fir Park.

Malpas will wait until the last moment to decide on the fitness of Darren Smith, Stephen Craigan, Danny Murphy and Brian Kerr for the Bank of Scotland Premier League clash.

Paul Quinn is suspended after his red card in the 1-1 draw at Dundee United on Saturday and fellow full-back Martyn Corrigan cracked a rib at Tannadice and could be out for a month.

Natural defensive cover Willie Kinniburgh is also struggling with injury while long-term absentees Phil O'Donnell, Brian McLean and Keith Lasley remain on the sidelines.

Malpas said: "We are back to the bare bones again. The ones that have been sitting on the bench getting splinters for a while, if they get the chance have got to try to take it as well as they can."

Malpas handed Kenny Connolly his first taste of SPL football on Tayside at right-back after Quinn was ordered off and he could make his home debut.

The 19-year-old could follow Smith in becoming the latest teenager to break through from the Motherwell youth ranks.

The right winger is struggling with a hip problem ahead of the visit of the Dons, but he has become a first-team regular since returning from a torn cartilage in his knee in December.

Malpas has also played down any fears of a lingering feud with Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood following the row over the original game being cancelled.

The game was postponed on January 20 because of a waterlogged pitch after the Dons had failed in a late bid to move the game to a Sunday as they played Hibernian in a Scottish Cup replay on the Thursday.

Calderwood slated the Lanarkshire club, but Malpas believes the spat is irrelevant. He said: "That is in the past."