Dundee FC boss Tony Docherty hopes the international break can ease his injuries worries after revealing the absentee list had grown ahead of the weekend Rangers clash.
The two sides were due to face off on Sunday lunchtime only for a waterlogged pitch to see the game postponed.
That leaves the Dark Blues four matches still to play before the Premiership splits.
They sit two points behind Hibs in the race for a top-six finish.
And Docherty is hoping by the time they face St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park next weekend, he’ll have more options to choose from.
The Dark Blues were missing seven players for the win over Aberdeen last midweek.
Owen Beck, Trevor Carson, Zach Robinson, Josh Mulligan, Jordan McGhee, Diego Pineda and Ryan Howley were all absent.
Players coming back
And the Dens boss says his front pairing for that Dons win were also struggling for the Rangers clash.
Main has injured his hamstring and will be out for the next three to four weeks.
However, Docherty does expect to welcome back Robinson, McGhee, Pineda and Howley before they face St Johnstone.
He said: “We had a lot of injuries on top of Beck and Josh Mulligan, who is also out for a few weeks.
“Curtis Main wasn’t in the line-up, Scott Tiffoney is carrying a knock and Trevor Carson is too.
“We already have Jordan McGhee, Zach Robinson, Diego Pineda out so it’s the biggest injury list I’ve had since I came here.
“Hopefully the international break gives us a chance to work on them and get some of them back for the St Johnstone game.
“So as much as you want games coming thick and fast when you are in good form, this is an opportunity to freshen it up.
“We have four massive games before the split now so we will need everyone who is available.
“I keep saying that it’s just about accumulating points and game-by-game, get enough points to make sure we are staying in the league.
“So all my focus is on the St Johnstone game now.”
International break plans
Part of that is keeping the players who are fit match sharp.
With the Rangers game called off and an international break, it will be two-and-a-half weeks without a game by the time the Saints fixture comes around.
And Docherty has moved to counter that.
He added: “We have a bounce game against Hearts at Tynecastle this midweek because I don’t want the lads to have too much between their games.
“We want to be in the best shape for the St Johnstone game, get as many back from injury as we can and get minutes into others.
“We need the players to be game-ready for when the league starts again.
“After the Hearts game they will get a little bit of time off.”
That bounce game has since been played on Wednesday morning.
And it gave Docherty and his depleted squad a real boost with a 5-1 win over the Jambos.
Dundee were 4-0 up within 14 minutes. Ryan Howley returned from injury to play 45 minutes and got on the scoresheet alongside Amadou Bakayoko, Scott Tiffoney, Dara Costelloe and Rayan Mohammed.
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