Dundee have received a double fitness boost ahead of Wednesday’s clash with Motherwell.
Dark Blues boss Tony Docherty has had to deal with a growing injury list in recent weeks.
But he revealed two top stars who missed Saturday’s draw at Kilmarnock are back in contention for a jersey.
Docherty said: “The squad is looking strong.
“I am pleased to say that Curtis Main was training on Tuesday and Trevor Carson is back in the squad.
“Curtis had a scan on his knee and there was a really positive result from that.
“It was important to get that done for peace of mind and to make sure as he did feel something.
“We had trained on astro last week going into the Kilmarnock game and he had a wee reaction to that.
“So we are pleased to see he has made a recovery and he was back training today.
“It just shows you how we are just now that a couple of injuries can send you into a bit of a tailspin, so it’s important you assemble a squad that can deal with that.
“We are only missing Scott Fraser, who will come back into contention after the Hearts game, Ziyad Larkeche, Clark Robertson, Joe Shaughnessy and Charlie Reilly but Charlie is a loan player at the moment.
“So it was a strong squad that trained in preparation for Motherwell.”
Scottish Cup derby reaction
Docherty admits he was thrilled when Dundee were pulled out of the hat to face Dundee United in Monday night’s Scottish Cup fourth round draw.
The Dark Blues boss insists the mouth-watering game at Dens is the tie of the round and will bring huge excitement to the whole city.
However, Docherty’s full focus at the moment is on the nine league matches before the January cup clash, starting with Motherwell at Dens.
The 53-year-old said: “I was absolutely thrilled when I saw it coming out of the hat.
“We missed the derbies last year but at the moment we are sitting on four derbies, hopefully five this season.
“It is brilliant for the city with real excitement and brilliant for the clubs.
“All the players had a buzz about it today and financially it is great for both clubs.
“For me being the manager of a squad, it brings that excitement and we will really look forward to it.
“There are nine matches between now and then so we will deal with it when it comes along.
“But I am thrilled and excited for that to be drawn out of the hat.
“I absolutely think it is the tie of the round and I hope it is treated that way.”
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