Neil McCann says Inverness aim to make absent boss John Robertson proud as they gear up for the next leg of their Scottish Cup adventure.

With Robertson on compassionate leave, the former Dundee boss has joined up with Billy Dodds to guide Caley Thistle through to the end of the season.

McCann has had fleeting contact with his old Hearts team-mate since making the move north but is determined to leave Robertson in peace as he takes time away from the game following a family bereavement.

But he also knows that Robertson will find it difficult to switch off entirely from football and will be watching with interest from afar as his team travel to Paisley for Friday night's Scottish Cup last-16 clash with St Mirren.

And with their manager still firmly in the thoughts of the players, McCann knows Caley Thistle will be determined to deliver a boost to Robertson in any small way they can.

"John and I are only in periodic contact through maybe a text message here and there," explained the stand-in boss. "He's had to take a step back and there's not a lot of dialogue.

"But I think he's still 100 per cent engaged in what we're doing here. I'm pretty sure that John would be pretty proud of his side and how they have been faring, particularly over the number of weeks that we have gone unbeaten.

"So progression in the cup will be really important to John.

"Although he's not got a direct impact here on training, he is still manager of this club. I'm still pretty sure that he will want to see us go and have a really successful cup run.

"Players can be pretty insular and single-minded. I wouldn't use the word selfish but this group are very aware of the situation they find themselves in.

"They have been great with me and their reaction to me and Billy coming in as new coaches. But there's certainly still a feeling that they want to do well for their manager.

"I mean, John hasn't been removed. John has had to take a step back. So they want to make their manger proud.

"They want to make myself and the coaching staff proud as well, but that's where the selfishness comes in.

"They must do their job when they go on the pitch and not really think about anything other than their jobs. Be motivated by outside circumstances, by whatever gets them going.

"But on the pitch, make sure they are functioning and focusing on what's ahead of them, which is a game of football essentially."

Inverness head down the A9 on the back of an eight-game unbeaten run that has propelled them back into the Championship play-off fight.

And McCann insists they are not going up against Jim Goodwin's Premiership outfit just to make up the numbers.

He said: "I'm a big hater of the phrase 'free hit'. There are no free hits. This is not a free hit for Inverness football club.

"This is an opportunity for the club to progress and the boys will see it like that as well."