Key Dundee defender Cammy Kerr looks certain to miss the first of their five relegation showdowns post-Premiership split.
Confirmation will come from the SFA during the course of this week but the Dark Blues believe the booking the young full-back picked up at Hearts on Saturday means he is facing a one-match ban.
Kerr will be available for the crucial visit of Hamilton Accies to Dens Park this Saturday but will have to sit out the next game.
Who that’s against isn’t confirmed yet but, with the placing in the top and bottom halves of the Premiership for this season now confirmed, the plan is to reveal the fixtures in the next few days.
Whoever the first of the final five is against, Kerr will be a big miss.
The 21-year-old has arguably been Dundee’s best player this season and, despite the disappointment of going down 1-0 at Tynecastle, his performance was a major consolation to gaffer Paul Hartley.
“I thought Cammy was great. We asked him to play on the left but he coped with it really well,” said the Dark Blues gaffer.
There was also praise for surprise selection Daniel Higgins.
The 19-year-old only signed up for the Development team in early February after leaving Celtic at the turn of the year.
He’s usually been used in midfield in the U/20s League but came in at centre-half for Kevin Gomis.
Celebrating his birthday, he also impressed his boss.
“His best position is central midfield but he’s played centre-back, so we stuck him in and he was very composed. He’s good on the ball and he handled things well,” Paul added.
Despite the defeat meaning Dundee have now lost six-in-a-row twice this term, Paul is approaching the tense weeks that lie ahead in positive mood.
“If they players perform like that for the next six games we’ll be fine.
“We matched Hearts even though they had a lot of possession. The difference was they took their chance and we didn’t.”
Meanwhile, Dundee owner Tim Keyes will be flying over from America later this month but is not expected to be here for this weekend’s game.
And Keyes’ long-planned trip will be to focus on plans for a new stadium and not the team’s current predicament just a point above the relegation play-off place that’s now occupied by Motherwell.
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