Seven points from their last five games before the split should see St Johnstone safely into the top six, according to Perth boss Tommy Wright.
Two wins and a draw would take the McDiarmid Park side on to the same points’ total as last term, and the Northern Irishman is confident that would be enough.
“I don’t have an exact number in mind,” he pointed out.
“Three wins would definitely get us in.
“We had 48 last year, and the next one was about 38 or 39.
“Teams at the bottom are starting to win games, so who knows what it will take.
“What we do know is that every win we get means that Dundee have to win a game more. If we got five ahead of them they would have to win at least two.
“Every point at is vital.
“I said it at the time, but the Kilmarnock one could prove to be crucial. The same is true of the Motherwell one, even though we thought at the time that it was two dropped.
“That’s what it’s like at this stage of the season.
“48 should do it. There’s no guarantees but you’d be unlucky if that wasn’t enough to make the top six.”
Wright has taken advantage of the free weekend to allow his players to recharge their batteries for the split run-in.
“We gave the boys a few days off,” he explained. “At this time of the season it’s important that if you get a few days’ rest you use them wisely.
“Fitness levels are good and there were a few of them carrying niggles nothing serious so it was good to give them some time away from the place. Now we’ve got a full week to prepare for Partick.
“That will be a tough game and we know they’re more than capable of beating us.”
Frazer Wright should be available for the trip to Firhill, after missing the Celtic win as a result of concussion and a broken nose sustained the previous Saturday.
“There’s a protocol to go through with concussion, and Frazer will be tested over the course of the week,” Wright reported.
“Michael the physio will look after that.
“Frazer has to do light exercise and make sure there’s no dizziness.
“We’re hoping he’ll be available for full training by Thursday.
“He’d probably have missed out against Celtic even without the concussion because there was a lot of swelling in his cheek. But you certainly don’t take any risks with head injuries.”
Simon Lappin went to see a specialist on Friday to have his injured knee assessed.
“We’ll probably have a more precise timeframe on his recovery tomorrow,” Wright noted.