Dundee United have been dealt a blow with the news that on-loan Newcastle defender Curtis Good could be sidelined for up to six weeks.
The 20-year-old Australian central defender made his full international debut last Wednesday for the Socceroos in a friendly against Ecuador at Millwall’s New Den Stadium.
However, Good had to limp off in the 68th minute and, following scans at the weekend, it has been confirmed that he has suffered a grade 2 iliopsaos (hip flexor) strain.
Newcastle’s medical staff have ruled him out for four to six weeks, meaning he will almost certainly miss the Tangerines’ Scottish Cup semi-final against either Albion Rovers or Rangers.
Good joined United at the end of January hoping that regular football would help him force his way into Australia’s World Cup squad and he was an ever-present in Jackie McNamara’s side before Sunday’s cup quarter-final against Inverness.
He now faces a battle to regain full match fitness before the end of the season and persuade national coach Ange Poste-coglou who lavished praise on the player after his performance against Ecuador that he should be on the plane to Brazil.
McNamara, though, does have options to replace Good in the heart of his defence with club skipper Sean Dillon taking his place against Inverness while John Souttar and Calum Butcher were on the bench in the Highlands.