After his game-changing appearance from the bench against Cove Rangers, expectation was high that Zach Robinson would have done enough to earn a start next time out.
However, the returning AFC Wimbledon loanee had to content himself with a place on the Dundee bench once more at Greenock Morton last Friday night.
Many fans wanted to see the 20-year-old on from the start at Cappielow after he scored one and created another within 10 minutes of coming on at home to Cove.
But even when frontman Kwame Thomas was stretchered off in the opening stages of the 1-0 defeat at Morton, manager Gary Bowyer resisted the temptation to call for Robinson.
Instead youngster Josh Mulligan came on with Alex Jakubiak moving into the No 9 position.
Robinson did appear for the second half, replacing Jakubiak for the final 45, but was unable to prevent a dark blues defeat.
‘Always going to be an issue’
And boss Bowyer has revealed he is wary of pushing his striker too hard with his last start coming over four months ago.
“The initial reaction would have been to stick Zach on when Kwame went off,” Bowyer said.
“I have a good relationship with Zach and we had spoken before the game about how he was feeling sharper with the minutes on the pitch.
“He is getting there.
“But I didn’t want to put him on after five minutes and then have to take him off after 70.
“We still need to look after him. He is getting better though.
“It was always going to be an issue because of when he was recalled. He had obviously had that hamstring injury but then didn’t get any minutes when he did come back.
“So to go back and not play meant he’d been out for basically two months rather than just one and we have to make sure he’s right.
“It’s about building up his football fitness without breaking him really.”
Triple header
With a busy week of Championship action coming up, Robinson may well get that first start since November 19.
First up is two home matches, Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Saturday followed by Dundee’s game in hand against Partick Thistle on Tuesday.
Then comes a trip to Aberdeen to face Cove Rangers once more.
Thomas is a doubt for Saturday after being treated for concussion in hospital on Friday, though Bowyer revealed he has a chance of being available.
There are also a couple of unnamed players who picked up knocks in the defeat at Cappielow.
‘I expect a reaction’
Whoever is playing, however, is tasked with getting the Dark Blues’ title challenge back on track.
League form since the turn of the year has seen Bowyer’s side drop 10 points out of the last 18 available, winning just two of their last six in the Championship.
And he’s expecting an improvement from his side starting on Saturday.
“We have three games in a week coming up but we can’t be thinking about Cove Rangers next weekend or even Partick Thistle on Tuesday,” he added.
“All our focus now is on Inverness. We are back at home and we have the opportunity to get back playing.
“I expect a reaction from our group.
“Before Friday we had only lost one game in 14 in the league so we need to get back to that sort of form.
“If we do that then we won’t be far away come the end of the season.”
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