Dundee United are set to be boosted by the return of Louis Moult – the club’s “most natural finisher” – for Saturday’s testing trip to face Rangers.
Moult, 32, has been absent since suffering a knock to the knee against Kilmarnock on September 28.
The severity of the injury proved to be far worse than initially feared but, as reported by Courier Sport on Tuesday, the experienced frontman has been back in “modified training” this week.
And boss Jim Goodwin has confirmed that Moult is set to be in contention for the clash at Ibrox, with the ex-Motherwell hero desperate to feature – even if that means playing through the pain barrier.
“Moulty was unlucky,” reflected Goodwin. “After scoring a couple of goals, hitting form and getting his place in the team – for that (injury) to happen at Rugby Park was a major disappointment for him.
“But he is back now.
“There is still a little bit of discomfort, but his injury is different from the hamstring injuries to (Kristijan) Trapanovski and (Ross) Graham.
“Moulty’s is more of an impact thing, so it’s more about whether you can play through the pain – and Moulty wants to do that.”
A striker’s instinct
Given he has been sidelined for close to two months, it would be a major shock to see Moult asked to produce anything more than a second half cameo.
But given his pedigree and attacking instincts, Goodwin reckons that could still be valuable if United are still in the game going into the final stages.
“He is probably the most natural finisher at the club,” continued Goodwin. “I see that every day in training.
“Opportunities in front of goal might be limited on Saturday. When they come around, we’ve got to be clinical. So, having someone like Louis available in the latter stages of the game could be important.
“Hopefully, he’ll play a big part.”
Injury latest
The game will come too soon for hamstring strain victims Kristijan Trapanovski and Ross Graham, with Goodwin adding: “Trapanovski came back from the muscle injury, and it happened again at Easter Road.
“We don’t want a repeat of that with Ross Graham. We want everyone to be pain free when they come back – and be back for a long time.”
Captain Ross Docherty suffered a slight setback as he seeks to reach peak fitness following a calf issue but is slated to take part in training on Friday. Goodwin is “hopeful” the midfielder will be in the squad against the Light Blues.
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