Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies feels the loss of Steven Naismith to Rangers during the summer has hit his side hard this season.The Ayrshire side lost their battle to keep the Scotland striker at the 11th hour, leaving them no time to find a replacement.

An horrific run of injuries which led to a struggle in the first half of the season was compounded when top scorer Colin Nish was sold to Hibernian just before the end of the January transfer window.

Jefferies, looking for three points against Inverness at Rugby Park on Saturday which he hopes will take them away from St Mirren and Gretna at the bottom of the table, bemoaned the circumstances that have led to a disjointed campaign.

"It started with Naismith leaving on the last day of the transfer window in the summer," the Killie boss said.

"It looked like we were going to be able to keep him until the next window and so that was a blow to lose him because we had no time to bring anyone in.

"We actually had lined up a lad called Danny Graham who had been released from Middlesbrough.

"But when it looked like Steven was staying with us he signed for Carlisle and has been banging in goals for them.

"So we lost out on two ways in that situation.

"To lose Colin Nish was also a big blow. He went on the last day of the season as well.

"Again, we tried to bring in somebody but that didn't happen.

"On top of that, we had experienced players like David Fernandez, Garry Hay and Jamie Fowler out for long spells," Jefferies added.

"Fowler got injured on the first day of the season and was out for seven or eight weeks.

"David Fernandez has been out practically all season and Allan Johnston and Danny Invincibile were also out for lengthy periods.

"That forces you to put in one or two lads far too early than is good for them just to try and put a side together.

"Consequently, we haven't had a settled side and that has been the reason that we are down in the bottom half of the league.

"We've had most of the players back in the last couple of weeks and we've looked a lot better, although some of the results have gone against us.

"Last week against Hibs was the best we have played for a long while and if we had players like Naismith and Nish still here we would have won it.

"But it will be a difficult game against Inverness.

"They have been going through a tough time recently but that happens to most teams at some point during the season.

"We always have good games against them and there are always goals."

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