Jim McAlister looks like making Dundee’s clash with Hamilton

Dundee boss Paul Hartley is hoping that Jim McAlister will be fit for Saturday’s crunch Championship clash at Hamilton.

The midfielder was forced to come off following a head knock during the weekend loss to Falkirk, a result which saw the Dark Blues deposed at the top of the table by Accies.

Now, as the title race edges closer to a conclusion, Hartley is keeping his fingers crossed that key performer McAlister will have shaken off the effects of his injury for the vital game with Hamilton.

The Dens manager said: “We’re hopeful Jim will be all right. He took a bit of a sore knock on the head and obviously we just had to take him off.

“But he seems to be OK and hopefully he’ll be fine for Saturday.”

Hartley insists that his players simply do not have time to reflect on the Falkirk disappointment and have to fully focus on the task ahead of them at Hamilton.

He said: “There’s nothing we can do about it now as it’s in the past. We just have to look forward to what is a massive game down at Hamilton.

“We should take a big support to it and it’s one we’re really looking forward to.”