Dundee boss John Brown reckons the club’s pre-season programme will help his players adjust to the rigours of plastic pitches this season.
The Dark Blues’ first three public friendlies will be held at grounds which are home to synthetic grass, and it is the kind of surface Dundee will have to get used to in the First Division this term as at least a quarter of their league games will be played on it.
Falkirk, Hamilton, Queen of the South and Alloa will all have astroturf this season and, although some players perhaps remain wary about the surface, Brown expects his players to be available whenever they are called upon.
“We’ve got Montrose, Forfar and Clyde coming up on the astro, and these games will give the boys a feel for the surface,” he said.
“I think there are a few different types and there are some of the experienced players where you’ll swither about whether or not you want to use them on that having maybe had cruciate injuries or anything like that.
“But I’ve got to say to them that it’s a league game and when it comes down to a league game they’ve got to be there to play.”
Brown will use the closed doors game against Hamilton, which will be played at Stirling University, to look at some of the trialists he has brought in, and generally give most of the squad some sort of run-out.
Trialist keeper Kyle Letheren, released from Kilmarnock at the end of the season, is likely to get the full 90 minutes, although Gavin Rae probably won’t feature in the match but will do away to Montrose on Tuesday.
“The majority of the boys will get 45 minutes each, so it will be near enough two teams,” Brown said.