Motherwell

The only contest between these sides this season ended goalless in August.

Motherwell had 66% possession that day but lacked a cutting edge, injury issues meaning they played without a centre-forward.

St Mirren had the better of the chances, but the stalemate means they have won only two of their past 16 league meetings with the Lanarkshire club and are winless in six.

Motherwell may be four points better off in the Premiership and in better form but this feels like a 50-50 affair.

The Fir Park club have won four of their past six matches, including their quarter-final success at Aberdeen.

Across 10 league games, they have scored double the goals of St Mirren (16 to eight) but conceded one more than the Paisley side (13 to 12).

In left-back Emmanuel Longelo and midfielder Elliot Watt, both signed in the summer, Motherwell boast two players who are among the standouts in the Premiership so far this term.

St Mirren, meanwhile, have won once in five matches since dumping out Kilmarnock on penalties in the last eight.

But an impressive showing against league leaders Hearts in midweek showcased all the redeeming features in Robinson’s side, who posed a serious threat from set-plays.

“Really contrasting styles between both sides,” BBC Scotland pundit Neil McCann said on Sportscene.

“If Motherwell get a grip of the game, it’ll be difficult for St Mirren. You could see St Mirren going old school and making Motherwell defend direct balls like they did against Hearts.

“I lean towards Motherwell because of the big pitch at Hampden. I make them favourites. But the way Robinson gets his teams to play, he will come up with a game plan to nullify space.”

The son of former Aberdeen and Falkirk striker Lee Miller has already made 76 senior appearances.

He was a near ever-present last season as Motherwell finished eighth in the Scottish Premiership, scoring four goals in his 41 appearances and earning his first two Scotland caps.

Asked about Miller’s absence on Saturday, Askou said: “Yes, it was a final call with everything taken into consideration.

“It’s not a secret that there are things going on in the background. We know he’s been out for four weeks.

“How much risk are you willing to take on a player like him in that situation? The decision was that we kept him out of it.”

Miller and his dad have always maintained playing regularly is the priority.

Moving away from these shores might be his best chance to do that, while others also think it would be a good fit for his game.

Both Udinese and Union Saint-Gilloise reportedly had bids rejected for Miller in January, and they will unlikely to be the last offers coming in.

Talented young Scottish players have increasingly looked to move abroad in recent seasons.

Whether it is Aaron Hickey and Lewis Ferguson enhancing their careers while playing at Bologna, or Max Johnston tasting title success and Champions League football after leaving Motherwell for Sturm Graz in Austria, the template is there.

Others like recent Scotland debutants Josh Doig and Andy Irving have also progressed in their careers through playing regularly abroad, while there is the influence of more senior players Scott McTominay and Billy Gilmour at Napoli.

“Lennon’s next move is so important, because a lot of players will get sucked into going to just a massive club and going, right, I’ve arrived,” dad Lee said.

“But there needs to be a lot of thought process, and there has been a lot of thought process of his next move, because it’s a development move again.

“This is what we planned out for him, in terms of playing loads of games in the first team, doing really well, and it’s on him to do that.

“There was a pathway there at Motherwell, and the next one, for me, is important because he has to play, he has to develop, he has to then kick on again.

“Once he’s round about better players, no disrespect to the Motherwell players, but once he’s round about top class elite players, he will then kick on again, in my opinion.

“And I think he has that inner belief, and it’s not arrogance, it’s just a belief. And he wants to play football.”