Derby hero Lawrence Shankland can follow up his goal for club with one for country, according to Dundee United teammate Louis Appere.
Shankland, who scored the second for United as they beat Dundee 2-0 at Dens on Friday, will be 2,000 miles away from Tannadice this weekend.
While the Tangerines are taking on Queen of the South in a Championship clash, their star striker will be in Cyprus with the Scots trying to build on the fine start to his international career in the penultimate Euro 2020 qualifier.
Shankland impressed in difficult circumstances as a substitute away to Russia and then scored against San Marino at Hampden in his first start for Steve Clarke’s side.
Having bagged 19 goals for United already, to say they will miss him for the game against the Doonhamers is something of an understatement.
However, Appere is hoping for a double on Saturday: a Shankland strike for the Scots and a United victory achieved without their talisman.
He said: “Lawrence showed what he can do for Scotland the last time he was called up and I think he will do the same this weekend.
“He has deserved his call up and to score 20 goals (19 for club and one for country) by this stage of the season is crazy.
“Can he get 50? I don’t see why not because of the rate he’s scoring at.
“If he stays in the form he is in then who knows what he is capable of?
“If he plays for Scotland this week he will do well,” added Appere.
“Indeed, he will score goals against anyone.
“If you get the ball into the box and create chances for him he will put them away no matter what level it’s at.
“Nothing fazes him and he adapts very well to wherever he is playing.
“Lawrence will be a huge loss for us this weekend but we have enough quality in our team to cope.”
Against the Dark Blues on Friday, Appere looked on as Shankland pounced on a mistake by home player Andrew Nelson before racing goalwards and then firing home United’s second goal.
He joked that he was waiting on a pass from his colleague, saying: “I was screaming out at him to give the ball to me but it was never happening.
“Seriously, I like playing alongside him and I am learning from him, picking up things all the time.
“He is a really good goalscorer but it is unfair to just think of him like that.
“He has really good hold-up play as well.
“He brings people into the game and is intelligent but when you score as many as he does it is no wonder people just focus on the goals!”
Appere felt United thoroughly deserved their victory at Dens, with the performance after the break leaving the opposition in their wake.
The result also opened up a bigger gap between the two city clubs, with Robbie Neilson’s men now nine points ahead.
“I thought it was tight in the first half in the derby but in the second we really got going and it could have been three or four,” he said.
“We spoke at half-time about not having had enough shots on target and enough crosses into the box.
“So we did more of that in the second half and it worked. You could see our quality.
“But it is not just about what is at the top end of the pitch because that is four clean sheets in a row now and that is massively important in helping us get to where we want to go.
“Also, Benjy (Benjamin Siegrist) in goal only had one save to make, which is great because it shows how solid we can be at the back.
“The little blip we had a few weeks back (away losses to Alloa and Queen of the South) might turn out to be a good thing because we have bounced back from it really strongly.
“The Dundee game wasn’t easy, especially in the first half, so it was good to go there and pick up the three points.
“They had been on a good run but we showed we are the better team.
“There is a long way to go in the title race but we just want to keep making the gap bigger and bigger when we can.”
