Jim Goodwin is hopeful that pivotal defender Will Ferry will be back in contention for Dundee United’s derby crunch against the Dee.
Ferry, 24, limped off in the closing stages of another all-action showing against Hibernian last midweek and was a notable absentee as the Tangerines played out a breathless 2-2 draw at Aberdeen on Sunday.
While Goodwin was full of praise for makeshift deputy Luca Stephenson – once again, illustrating his versatility – the United boss is acutely aware of Ferry’s importance to the Terrors’ cause.
And he is confident the muscle strain will ease in the next fortnight.
Indeed, although exiting the Scottish Cup was far from ideal, the opportunity to reset and rehabilitate some of their recent injury victims is welcome one. Louis Moult could also return after missing out on United’s last three squads.
Captain Ross Docherty is less certain after exiting the Tangerines’ 1-0 win over Motherwell with a thigh complaint.
“It would be great to have them all back for the derby,” said Goodwin.
“For me, Ferry has been one of our most consistent players all season, albeit I need to give a lot of credit to Luca Stephenson for his importance in almost every position he’s played in.
“It’s not easy to play left-back, especially against the pace and creativity Aberdeen have. He deserves a special mention.
“But we do hope to have Will and, potentially, Louis Moult back in the squad (for the Dundee match) and, in terms of Ross Docherty, we’ll just see how he progresses.”
Gallagher waiting game
The extent of Declan Gallagher’s set-back against the Dons – limping from the field after 26 minutes clutching his groin – will become apparent in the coming days.
Given Kevin Holt’s recent sale to Derry City, United can scarcely afford the Scotland defender to have a lengthy layoff.
“It’s an issue around his pelvic area – maybe his groin – but it’s too early to give a definitive answer what it is,” said Goodwin. “That’ll be assessed and then we’ll have a better idea of what to expect.”
‘Fantastic’ Craig Sibbald
Meanwhile, Goodwin has hailed the resolve of “fantastic” Craig Sibbald following his first start since October 5.
“Sibbs has been out for four months and has only had half a dozen sessions since returning to training,” explained Goodwin.
“He was nowhere near fit enough to start the game on Sunday. Our intention had been to gradually build him up with 20 minutes, then half an hour and then maybe start him in a couple of weeks.
“But we had to throw him in early, given the circumstances, and I thought he was fantastic.”
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