Dundee United forward Tony Watt is slated to resume full training on Thursday morning, Tangerines boss Jim Goodwin has confirmed.
Watt, 29, sat out United’s shock Scottish Cup exit due to a slight groin strain and was due to miss the subsequent Championship fixture against Morton on Saturday prior to its postponement.
However, the former Scotland, Celtic and Hearts man – who boasts four goals and three assists from 20 outings this term – did some light work at the start of the week.
And Goodwin is hopeful Watt can take part in a full contact session this morning, with a view to coming into contention for Saturday’s visit of Ayr United.
Tadhal bhon sgiobair! 'S e Tony Watt le deagh tionndaidh le cluicheadair air a dhruim airson a' faighinn an tadhal.
A fantastic turn gives Tony Watt the space to shoot and give Dundee United the lead pic.twitter.com/9zKiAu1yyv
— BBC ALBA (@bbcalba) November 17, 2023
“Tony has gone through a wee bit of rehab on his groin over the last couple of weeks,” explained Goodwin.
“He has been back with the group, and I’d expect him to resume full training on Thursday with a view to being part of the squad for the weekend.
“That’s a great boost for everybody.”
“It’s been too long”
Goodwin is similarly heartened by the prospect of a return to Tannadice.
United have not played a game on home soil since the frustrating 1-1 draw against Duncan Ferguson’s Inverness Caledonian Thistle on November 4 – more than a month ago.
“We’ve been on the road quite a bit lately, with the couple of cup games and the league match,” continued Goodwin. “We’re really looking forward to getting back out in front of our own fans. It’s been far too long.
“One good thing about that is: the pitch will be in great condition!
“The boys are really excited for the weekend. When you haven’t played for a couple of weeks – and especially getting back to Tannadice – you get that buzz for it, and they’ve trained brilliantly.”
Goodwin added: “We want to maintain our unbeaten record in this division and stay top of the Championship – and it’s an important one after the last couple of fixtures.
“We need to get back to being disciplined and organised defensively, while still carrying the attacking threat we do possess.”
Logan Chalmers, on loan at Ayr from United, will be ineligible to play.
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