Dundee will have to be at their best to handle the attacking threat of Hibs this weekend warns boss James McPake.
The Dark Blues take on Jack Ross’s side this Sunday with the TV cameras in attendance at Dens Park.
A former Hibs defender himself, McPake knows the expectation the Edinburgh side will have going into the clash.
But he’s confident his side can build on the weekend cup victory over Motherwell.
To do so they will have to get to grips with the likes of Martin Boyle, Kyle Magennis and Jamie Murphy.
Top of the list for McPake, though, is Scotland striker Kevin Nisbet – a player he admits he’s tried to bring to Dundee on more than one occasion.
McPake said: “I was there on Sunday (as Hibs beat Kilmarnock) and was really impressed.
“Obviously we played them twice last year so we know a fair bit about them.
“They have added but they play pretty similar.
“Losing (Christian) Doidge is a big blow for them but they still have Kevin Nisbet who I think is a fantastic footballer.
“He is a really, really good player to the point where I tried to sign him three times – when he was at Raith Rovers and twice when he was at Dunfermline.
“He is a top player in my eyes and a real threat come the weekend.”
After joining the Hibees from Dunfermline last summer, Nisbet has scored 14 Premiership goals after getting 18 for the Pars in the Championship the season before.
Since arriving at Easter Road, the 24-year-old has been capped six times by Scotland including three appearances at Euro 2020.
Home crowd impact
McPake has been delighted with the impact made by the home crowds in recent weeks.
Dundee are unbeaten at home so far this season and this weekend Dens Park will open to full capacity once more.
This time in league action after their Premier Sports Cup success, McPake wants to see the same levels of performance that saw off the Steelmen last Saturday.
“Hibs are a fantastic football club who are going well,” McPake added.
“They will come here and expect to win because when you are a Hibs player, any time you go anywhere you are expecting to win.
“It is going to be a tough test but we are at home and we need to put our stamp on the game.
“We are going to have a big crowd in here that is going to get right behind us.
“It is a game we are really looking forward to.
“They will come here looking for maximum points but we have to go out and fight the way we did against Motherwell with the same quality and intensity.
“If we do that, then we believe we will get a positive result.”