ATHLETIC are still waiting to hear the extent of the injury sustained by Matty Todd on Tuesday evening as James McPake played down reports of interest in David Wotherspoon.

During the 4-0 win over Annan Athletic in the Viaplay Cup, 22-year-old Todd was substituted inside the opening half an hour after suffering an ankle problem, and had to be helped from the field.

After the game, McPake said he was "hopeful that Matty will be okay", and x-rays have come back clear.

However, during a sit down with the media ahead of Saturday's match with Kilmarnock, he said: "We are still awaiting scan results on Matty. He was scanned this morning so we will know more tonight or tomorrow.

"The x-rays were all clear but it needs an MRI to see the extent if any and what the damage is. It is a disappointing one for the boy.

"I have seen him about and spoken to him on the phone, but he is in the same kind of place we are, you don’t really know. It could just be a twisted ankle, it could be more serious, I am guessing at the minute to be honest.

"When a player gets injured and he goes off, on this side, that is why you have got a squad. I have been in that position as a player and the waiting time is the hard bit. There are a lot worse people out there waiting on results.

"It is not even two days since it happened so we will have the results tonight or tomorrow."

McPake, who said that Michael O'Halloran will train tomorrow with a view to returning to the squad for Saturday, having missed Tuesday's game, was also puzzled by reports linking him with ex-St Johnstone player Wotherspoon.

The Canada international, who played at last year's World Cup, left St Johnstone in the summer after a hugely successful 10-year stint with his hometown club.

READ MORE: Pars wait on Todd injury news as boss addresses recruitment

The 33-year-old won the Scottish Cup twice, and the League Cup, the first of which, in 2014, saw him play alongside Dunfermline assistant boss, Dave Mackay, who captained Saints to that triumph.

Wotherspoon was reportedly spotted at KDM Group East End Park watching the Annan match but, when asked about that, McPake replied: "I got a message yesterday as well from somebody about that, if he was at the game. If he was at the game, then I knew nothing about it.

"He's a good player, that I obviously know from my time at Hibs, and Dave knows him. He's just back from international duty with Canada as well, so he's not in here, anyway.

"It was news to me yesterday. I actually asked Dave if he had invited him to the game, and he said no, so that's, genuinely, as much as I know about it. There's been nothing elsewhere whatsoever."

On whether players of that calibre is who he would like to bring in to his squad, McPake said: "I don't know. We want to add good quality to the squad, and how do you determine what calibre fits?

"If a player comes in that's young, that we think can add to the squad, we'll sign him. If it's somebody that's 32, 33, 34, whatever, and we think they can add to this squad, then we'll do our utmost to sign that player.

"There's not a set person or a set look that we're trying to do. We're trying to improve this squad.

"We're always looking, and we're always trying to get better, and add to the squad where we feel it needs.

"Certainly what we won't do is react because we've got a couple of injuries. We don't know about Matty's yet, but we'll certainly not react just to injuries, because that's not the way things are going, and that's not the way we want to work.

"We want to add people that can help this football club for the next few years."

One player who may not be added to the squad is Paul McGowan, who played in each of Dunfermline's pre-season friendlies as a trialist.

The 35-year-old, who spent the latter part of last season on loan with the Pars, left Dundee in the summer, and has been training with McPake's squad since the start of pre-season.

He is still working with the squad, but the manager suggested that, with no deal for the player on the horizon, there is a greater chance he could be playing football elsewhere.

"He'll have a few options I'm sure, and that's something we're having to deal with at the minute, the longer it goes," McPake added.

"He's been great actually. Again, we could be doing with having that opportunity to play him, and certainly other ones as well, and look at that.

"He's been great round about the place. Obviously, he knows the boys as well, but I don't think it would've mattered if Paul knew them or not, the type of character he is. Yeah, he's still here."