Dundee don’t have defensive injury issues to seek right now.
However, better days are appearing on the horizon with positive news on the trio currently out of action.
Central defender Antonio Portales is out of his knee brace after injuring ligaments within six minutes of his Premiership debut.
And the bubbly Mexican is setting himself lofty ambitions, according to boss Tony Docherty.
Aaron Donnelly, meanwhile, is yet to appear in dark blue since joining on loan from Nottingham Forest.
He injured an ankle in his first week of training but is making strides in his recovery while worst fears over Tyler French’s setback on return from a broken leg have not been realised.
‘Vamos Man City!’
Dens gaffer Docherty provided an update on his injured stars and revealed the positive effect Portales in particular is having on the dressing-room, despite his injury.
“Aaron Donnelly has made real progress, he’s still down in Nottingham,” the Dark Blues boss explained.
“I spoke to Forest this week and we’ll get him up here quite soon to do his rehab here.
“Portales is out of the brace now and is making good progress as well.
“To be honest, you wouldn’t know he’s injured because he’s a diamond, he’s a brilliant boy.
“Amadou Bakayoko took Antonio and Diego Pineda down to Man City at the weekend.
“Now Antonio is telling me once he’s fit he’s going to play for Man City!
“Vamos, Man City! That’s his line!
“The boys love him because he’s the happiest guy all the time despite having a disappointing start to his Premiership career.
“He’s a good player and brilliant boy to have around the place so I’m really looking forward to having him back.”
Dundee defender Antonio Portales ‘very popular’
Docherty has been keen to stress all the background work that went into the Mexican’s signing.
However, they’ve been pleasantly surprised by how quickly he has integrated into the squad.
Docherty added: “We did quite a bit of work on that to see what kind of a team-mate he is.
“He’s been a captain since he was a young boy.
“We did know his character, we just didn’t know quite the extent of how competitive he is. We see that in the table tennis and darts and all that.
“He’s very popular and I’m desperate to get him back on the pitch.”
Tyler French
Meanwhile, there is positive news on the fitness of Tyler French.
The former Wrexham man spent eight months on the sidelines with a broken leg before returning to the pitch for Dundee’s B team in the SPFL Trust Trophy last week.
He played 90 minutes in the 0-0 draw with East Fife but suffered a reaction after the game.
However, Docherty is delighted any fears over a lengthy setback have been eased.
“Tyler is making progress. He trained again on Wednesday after his setback so that’s good,” he said.
“I feel for him because there’s nobody more dedicated in terms of his rehab and the work he’s doing.
“But it’s a resilience thing, dealing with these setbacks and he is dealing with it.
“He’s back training with the first team though so he’s back in contention again.
“He’s a good boy and I hope for his sake there aren’t any more setbacks.”
Charlie Reilly
Another making positive strides is Charlie Reilly.
The former Albion Rovers man joined the Dark Blues at the end of last season with fans excited to see what he could bring to Dundee after an incredible individual campaign in League Two.
However, a calf problem picked up in the close season has meant his wait for a Dundee debut continues.
That, though, is getting closer with the break last weekend turning out to be a real positive for the attacker.
“He’s coming on great. I think the week’s training was hugely beneficial for Charlie,” Docherty said.
“We got a lot of work into him. He hadn’t really trained a full week with the squad since he arrived.
“But he’s looking great, he’s looking sharp and hungry.
“It feels like a new signing having Charlie back.
“He’s hungry and desperate to learn and we have to drag him off the training field because he wants to stay out there and practice.
“So it’s good to have him back in the squad and, as I say, it feels like a new signing.”
He could be in contention for Sunday’s Premiership clash with Hearts while there are no new injury worries for the Dens Park outfit.
Meanwhile, young defender Marley Weenie-Rowe has joined Stenhousemuir on loan until January.
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