Looking to put an end to their worrying winless run, Dundee will do battle with relegation-threatened St Johnstone at the Scot Foam Stadium on Sunday afternoon in the Scottish Premiership.
The Dark Blues were defeated at the home of St Mirren last time out, while the Saints were unable to collect anything from their clash with Hearts.
Match preview
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Dundee's winless run in the Scottish Premiership extended to three matches on Wednesday night, when the Dark Blues made the midweek trip to the SMISA Stadium to face top-six hopefuls St Mirren, who were able to secure a much-needed two-goal success in front of their home faithful.
Following a goalless first half which saw little in the way of clear-cut chances, the hosts sealed a vital three points courtesy of strikes from Mikael Mandron and Toyosi Olusanya - two goals which sandwiched a red card for centre-back James Bolton in the final stages of the contest.
After collecting just one point from their last three Scottish Premiership clashes, Tony Docherty's men have slipped to sixth in the top-flight standings, ahead of seventh-placed Hibernian due to superior goal difference, meaning the race to make the post-season split is on.
The Dark Blues are turning to youngsters as they aim to secure a top-six finish this campaign, with the likes of Jon McCracken, Owen Beck and Michael Mellon joining on loan from Premier League clubs - the latter was a shining light for Morecambe during the first half of the season.
Another temporary addition is leading Dundee's Golden Boot race so far in 2023-24, with Forest Green Rovers marksman Amadou Bakayoko netting five goals in 23 Scottish Premiership appearances to date, representing his best goalscoring return since he hit 13 for Bolton Wanderers during the 2021-22 campaign.
Following a vitally-important 1-0 victory over fellow strugglers Ross County last Saturday, St Johnstone were unable to seal back-to-back Premiership successes for the first time this season, losing a hotly-contested match against Hearts at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday night.
Rather unsurprisingly, it was the Jambos' talisman Lawrence Shankland who came up with the decisive moment for the visitors in Perth, as the 28-year-old bagged his 17th league goal of the term, beating Zander Clark in the Saints' net and further securing Hearts' position as the third-best side in Scotland.
After winning just one of their last seven Scottish Premiership matches, Craig Levein's men have slipped to 10th in the top-flight table, two points behind Sunday's hosts Dundee in sixth, although the Saints possess a comforting 11-point cushion over basement dwellers Livingston.
If the division was based purely on away form, St Johnstone would be in even greater trouble - the Saints have collected just the single win and seven points from 11 Premiership contests away from the McDiarmid Park base, with their only victory on the road arrived during last weekend's trip to Dingwall.
St Johnstone have been victorious in 50% of the last 30 meetings between themselves and Dundee across the Dark Blues, although the last three meetings have all ended in a share of the spoils, with Ukrainian Maksym Kucheriavyi netting a brace in the 2-2 draw earlier in the season.
Team News
Dundee are set to be without the services of Juan Portales until early March, with the 27-year-old Mexican suffering a hamstring injury in December.
The Dark Blues will also be unable to call upon the talents of Ricki Lamie and Ryan Howley due to knocks, with the pair currently taking up spots in the medical room.
After failing to breach the net of St Mirren last time out, Docherty could make some alterations to his attack, with the likes of Zach Robinson and Scott Tiffoney pushing for starts.
The same can be said for St Johnstone, who could integrate four-goal striker Nicky Clark into the XI alongside Swedish marksman Benjamin Mbunga Kimpioka.
Alistair Crawford has failed to kick a ball competitively for the Saints this term due to a calf strain, and the 32-year-old is a doubt for Sunday's clash.
Drey Wright managed four Premiership appearances before sustaining a knee injury in October - the wing-back is expected back at sometime this month.
Dundee possible starting lineup:
Carson; McGhee, Ashcroft, Shaughnessy, Dodgson, Beck; Cameron, Boateng, McCowan; Robinson, Mellon
St Johnstone possible starting lineup:
Mitov; Olufunwa, Considine, McGowan, Robinson; Sprangler, Smith, Carey, Kucheriavyi; Kimpioka, Clark
We say: Dundee 2-1 St Johnstone
Dundee will be desperate to put things right following a poor result at St Mirren, and the Dark Blues have the attacking quality in their armoury to do just that.
Despite winning on the road last weekend, St Johnstone struggle massively on their travels, and we are expecting a tough afternoon for the Saints at Dens Park.
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Carter White
