Dundee manager Paul Hartley called for more protection for danger man Greg Stewart after the forward was taken off injured during their 2-1 victory over Motherwell.
Stewart hobbled off with an ankle injury just before the half-hour mark at Dens Park after Louis Moult caught him with a late sliding challenge, which earned a yellow card.
The Motherwell striker had been tracking back and appeared to make a genuine attempt to win the ball but Hartley feels his player has been targeted in general in recent weeks.
Hartley, who also lost Kevin Thomson to a knee injury, said: “I was disappointed with the early substitutions and I think that’s becoming a habit in terms of Greg. He is not getting much protection.
“I feel it’s week in, week out they are really targeting him.
“And I don’t mean just today’s game, I mean overall this season and even last season. We want to protect our better players and more talented players and I don’t feel he is getting that.
“He’s got a sore one in there. I don’t think it’s going to be weeks out but I just think people are going out to make sure he doesn’t have an influence on the game.
“We have seen it week in, week out the amount of late challenges that are going in on him, trying to disrupt him. He’s had a few dull ones in recent weeks.”
Motherwell winger Lionel Ainsworth also went off with a thigh injury in a poor first half before Rory Loy flicked home the opener 13 minutes after the break after Riccardo Calder had returned a half-cleared free-kick.
Kevin Holt doubled the lead with a deflected free-kick after 70 minutes and Dundee held on after Stephen Pearson netted in off the post with seven minutes left.
Hartley said: “The first half wasn’t a great spectacle. I though they were better than us but I thought it was a much better second half for us.
“When you have Loy and (Kane) Hemmings they are always a threat.
“Rory has started four games and got five goals and Kano’s work rate was terrific.”
Motherwell caretaker boss Stephen Craigan felt his side failed to make the most of their possession.
He said: “I thought first half we were in the ascendancy. We spoke during the week about having more composure in the final third and picking an extra pass rather than smashing the ball into an area.
“So it was disappointing that we got ourselves into areas and didn’t capitalise first half.
“But it boils down to not defending a cross ball and a wall that disintegrates.”
When asked how the defeat affects his own position as Motherwell seek a permanent successor to Ian Baraclough, Craigan said: “I have absolutely no idea.
“It’s probably not the time, it’s an emotional moment straight after the game.
“It hasn’t entered my head since the end of the game but I’m sure it will do over the next couple of days.”