Dundee’s hopes of seeing Owen Beck back in the team before the end of the season have faded.
The Liverpool loanee returned to his parent club at the start of March after picking up a groin injury.
The Dark Blues had hoped he could recover in time to play a part in their crucial Premiership run-in.
There was a reminder of the major impact he’d made at Dens Park and in the Scottish top-flight last weekend after he was named in the PFA Team of the Year.
However, thoughts for manager Tony Docherty have now switched to being without Beck for the final five fixtures of the season.
It is a situation they have been used to for almost two months now and the Dens boss has been happy with the response of his squad without the flying full-back.
Crucially, though, the success of the loan deal could bear more fruit in the future.
“I was buzzing that Owen was named in the PFA Team of the Year,” Docherty said.
“He called me last week when we were on our golf day to tell me.
“All the boys were there and he told them on the call. As you can imagine, they were all absolutely buzzing for him.
“To get voted by your peers, that is a real accolade.”
Likelihood of Owen Beck return
On chances of seeing him back, Docherty accepted it was now unlikely.
A blow that only adds to the setback suffered by captain Joe Shaughnessy after he picked up a “significant” knee injury.
He said: “He is still doing his rehab at Liverpool and getting ready for next season.
“I wouldn’t see him being available to us between now and the end of the season.
“It is a disappointment because he is such a top, top player but Liverpool have to make sure they get him 100% and ready to play.
“I might be proved wrong and there might be an outside chance of Owen coming back up but we have to look at it this way.”
Future Liverpool loans?
Beck’s tremendous form in the first half of the season saw him recalled by Liverpool after injuries to senior left-backs Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas.
He would make his Premier League debut at Bournemouth before returning to Dens Park at the end of the month.
Such has been the success of the deal, Docherty says it could pave the way for further loans in the future from Liverpool.
“It is an example of a loan that has really worked for both parties,” the Dens boss added.
“We now have a good relationship established with Liverpool with Matt Newbury as a contact at Liverpool.
“It is something we will be looking to strengthen on the back of Owen being here.
“Owen has certainly put himself in a positive position with Liverpool.
“From that, we take a good deal of satisfaction from the fact we have helped him along the way.
“You couldn’t meet a better kid than him.
“We all take a lot of satisfaction from helping him along on his footballing journey.”
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