Dundee United are set to sacrifice the defence of the Irn-Bru Cup in a bid to improve their chances of automatic promotion this season.
The Tangerines lifted the trophy with a win over St Mirren at Fir Park in March, but the run to what is minor silverware added another five games to a marathon campaign.
A new format for the event this time round means a successful defence would involve six ties.
Manager Ray McKinnon is well aware fatigue was a major factor in the promotion play-off final defeat at Hamilton — their 54th and last competitive outing of 2016/17.
And as he plans to go with a streamlined first-team squad of around 18 men, all of whom he wants challenging for starting places, he wants to keep the amount of games to a minimum.
That means targeting automatic promotion and giving most of them a break when the Challenge Cup ties come round.
Premiership teams are only permitted to use colts teams in the competition and it’s likely United will do the same when their defence kicks off against Cowdenbeath at Tannadice in mid-August.
“Winning the cup last season was great but our No 1 priority has to be promotion,” said Ray.
“The Premiership is where this club has to be and it’s where the fans want us to be, we’re aware of that.”
Work, meanwhile, is continuing at a pace to put together that squad capable of claiming first in the Championship.
While refusing to discuss names, the gaffer has been holding further talks with another two targets and it can be taken as read one of them is Hibs midfielder Fraser Fyvie.
The other is a striker and even if he signs, Ray will be looking to get another two front men in.
“We’d like four strikers this year. We have one in already in James Keatings, so I am looking at another two senior strikers, while the fourth will probably be a good young kid.”
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