Injuries may be mounting at Dens Park as manager Gary Bowyer scrambles to fill his matchday squad.
However, the players without fitness worries are seeing this as a chance to nail down a regular starting spot.
Throughout the season Bowyer has rewarded performances with a place in the team the following week with players returning from injury finding it difficult to get back in at times.
Young midfielder Max Anderson has been in and out of the team with Tuesday’s cup tie against Dunfermline just his fourth start since October.
Patience has been key and the 21-year-old hopes a good display capped by a third goal of the season earns him more first-team chances.
“It is great to get on the scoresheet again,” Anderson said.
“It has been a while since I last scored so it was good to see the ball going in the back of the net.
“There have been a few injuries recently.
“A few of us boys who played against Dunfermline have been waiting for our chances.
“We have been trying to keep ourselves fit and knocking on the door.
“All of us on that pitch are battling for the starting 11.
“With the injuries, you get these chances and it is about taking them.”
Flashback
Anderson was joined by a number of his former youth team mates in a starting XI that boasted five academy graduates.
Central midfield was straight out of the Dundee youth system with Max joined by Fin Robertson and Lyall Cameron.
Robertson also found the net while Cameron backed up an impressive showing at St Mirren. Josh Mulligan also featured at right-back.
And to add to the strange feeling of nostalgia, their former youth coach and first-team manager, James McPake, was in the opposing dugout.
“It felt like a flashback,” Anderson said.
“It is a joy to play with these boys as we have known each other since we were young.
“We know each other’s game well.
“We have a nice connection and it was great that the manager trusted us to play in that midfield being so young.
“We know ourselves that we still have a lot more to give.
“But ultimately we did the job and that’s what our plan was.
“Dunfermline are high on confidence and play good stuff.
“But we managed to combat that with our game plan and see it through.”
Focus
Very quickly attention switches to a crunch Championship clash with Queen’s Park.
The match at Dens Park is very much a top-of-the-table clash with the Spiders having knocked the Dark Blues off top spot at the turn of the year.
Five points now separate the two after Dundee had their match with Partick Thistle called off, meaning Owen Coyle’s men could stretch open an eight-point lead with victory.
Anderson says only a repeat of the performances given on Saturday and Tuesday in cup competitions will do.
“Saturday is the main focus for us now – getting the three points is all we can do,” the youngster added.
“If we can bring the performance from St Mirren and the quality of the goals from Dunfermline then we are giving ourselves the best chance.
“Anything less than that, then it is not us.”
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