“His availability for this weekend’s match is still being assessed one day at a time,” he explained. “He joined us last night as part of the preparations, but he was absent today.”
“I’ll talk with him later this afternoon, and he will decide whether he can attend tomorrow. I expect he will then make a separate decision about the weekend fixture.”
“It would be excellent if he returned this weekend. If not, we will get ready to handle the match without him.”
Maloney acknowledged that leading the team at Rugby Park in his absence would feel unusual.
“We would certainly feel his absence, but we also need to be mindful of what he has experienced over the past few days,” he added.
“Since arriving in October, his influence has been truly remarkable, particularly through the work he has done with both the squad and the coaching staff.”
“We would miss having him with us, but we will still be ready. There are several outstanding senior players in the squad, so we will wait and allow him to make the final decision.”
Maloney did not anticipate any additions to the squad before Sunday’s match, including Oviedo winger Haissem Hassan, who has reportedly been the subject of an offer. He added that transfer discussions remained solely in the hands of O’Neill and chief executive Michael Nicholson.
The former Scotland midfielder was aware of interest in midfielder Arne Engels and right-back Alistair Johnston, but had received no indication that either player would be unavailable for the game against Kilmarnock.
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