Benji Kimpioka is back in contention for St Johnstone’s clash with Rangers tonight after serving his two-match ban.
The Swedish forward was sent off during Saints’ 2-0 loss to Hibs for a sliding challenge on Jordan Obita.
Now the Perth club is set to have two forwards returning to the matchday squad for the Ibrox clash, with Adama Sidibeh completing his four-game ban for a double red card against Dundee United.
24-year-old Kimpioka – who signed for Saints in January on an 18-month contract from Swedish side AIK – says he has learned from the sending off. “Obviously you want to play as many games as possible but you have to take something positive out of it,” he said. “The only thing I could do was learn from it and grow as a player.”
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Despite a tumultuous start to this year's campaign for the McDiarmid Park side, Kimpioka began the season well. He scored a penalty in the 3-0 win over 10-man Kilmarnock at Rugby Park and found the back of the net in the 2-1 defeat against Motherwell.
The former Sunderland player is eager to recapture that form straight away. “Obviously I have to show that in the next game,” he said. “I'm going to do my best to help the team and just take it from there.”
With a new manager in the dugout – although Simo Valakari will not be in charge for the Rangers game as he awaits a work permit – Kimpioka is confident the Perth club can turn around a rocky start to the season.
“Obviously you've always got to believe and keep believing,” he said. “Once you're in a dark spot it's hard to get out but you just need to remember it's just part of the journey really. We just have to get out of it and get back on track again.”
Saints have already faced Philippe Clement’s side this season in a 2-0 defeat at Hampden in August, which saw them eliminated from the Premier Sports Cup.
“I think we had some chances that we could have scored [in the last game],” said the 24-year-old. “I believe in this team and my teammates, so we've just got to go there with the same kind of attitude but even do more. Learn from what happened in the last game and hopefully we can get a result.”
