Stephen Robinson aims to continue building at St Mirren

St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson aims to continue building on and off the park after the club secured their top-flight status but admits he is hampered in his ability to experiment.

Saints host Livingston on Wednesday after consecutive wins and clean sheets against cinch Premiership bottom two St Johnstone and Dundee.

Robinson said: “We want to build on what’s been done, I say over the last three games, because it was a very good defensive performance against Hibs.

“I believe we have got the right balance in the last two games in terms of attacking and defending and played well.

“We are limited in numbers, really, really limited by injuries. In training we have 25 players but there are only 13-14 eligible to play for us because of the loans.

“So it’s about getting through those two games and trying to finish on a high.

“There’s nine players out on loan and we are not allowed to bring them back and play. So we are going with the same 14 available players that we have had previously.

“It’s frustrating because you want to give them opportunities but we are going below that to 16-year-olds who are starting out on their careers.”

Robinson is closer to formulating his squad for his first full season in charge.

“We have got four pre-contracts signed, which we will announce over the coming weeks, and I believe all four will enhance what we have already got,” the former Oldham, Motherwell and Morecambe manager said.

“I believe we still need two, maybe three, more. There will be a bit of business done when the market opens up in England.

“As with every club, there are boys who have signed pre-contracts with other clubs, boys who have turned down contracts with ourselves, there’s boys that have signed contracts with ourselves.

“We have purposely not announced it yet until we were 100 per cent safe and looking to next season. We will inform everyone who has signed in the coming weeks. But every club is in the same, in a bit of limbo.”