Steve Banks has been around just long enough to come up with a few ways to deal with questions about his age.

At 41, there had been a perception that the St Johnstone goalkeeper would spend this season acting his age - focusing on his coaching duties during the week before picking a comfy spot on the bench during match days. That was before Alan Mannus got injured, of course.

The Northern Irishman is expected to be sidelined for up to six weeks due to a shoulder injury, meaning that the Perth side will rely on Banks to maintain a promising start to the season. That has raised questions over his readiness, his sharpness, his speed of thought, since the Englishman is now into his 40s and has played in just one competitive fixture in the last four years.

Oddly enough, that was against Ross County, the very club that will arrive in Perth tomorrow. Banks might be grateful for a sense of the familiar, then, while he will also be emboldened by the anticipation of returning to action.

"There's never any good circumstances to come in because the only way a No.2 gets the shout is because of injury, lack of form or a keeper being sent off," said Banks. "Hopefully Alan will be on the mend and will come back stronger and fitter.

"Before I signed the manager wanted me to come in and train so he could have a look at me, and obviously he liked what he saw. I've got to go out and do it on the pitch now. My last competitive first game was against Ross County for Dundee United in a cup game but I've played reserve games and pre-season games and I was at Dundee in pre-season. I just try to look after myself."

Richard Brittain might consider that he will need to look after himself in Perth, too, since he had been meant to start the campaign as a St Johnstone player, only to renege on a pre-contract agreement.

The County captain has returned from suspension but his manager does not expect him to be fazed by playing in Perth. "If he plays it won't worry him one iota," said Derek Adams. "It won't faze him. He's someone who has a strong mentality."