Dundee United are at long last set for encouraging news on their long-term injury list.
While the Tangerines will have to go with what they’ve got for now, Scott Fraser and William Edjenguele could give them a boost in the weeks and months ahead.
Broken foot victim Fraser’s absence is still going to be measured in months, but there is an outside chance he will be ready for the closing games of the season.
After cracking a metatarsal for the second time in less than a year at St Mirren in the last game of 2017, he was initially ruled out until next term.
Last week saw him have surgery to repair the break and the feeling was it wasn’t a severe as initially thought.
It’s possible he’ll be back in action in a couple of months or so and with United nine points behind St Mirren in the promotion race, that could be crucial if they end up in the play-offs for a second year running.
He did rush back for those end-of-season games after first breaking his foot last March and there is a feeling he returned too soon.
This time round he will not see any action until it’s 100% certain the bone has healed.
If he doesn’t make it make back, the 22-year-old Dundonian may have kicked his last ball for United after being linked with a move to Hearts.
It’s understood there has been no contact on the subject between Tynecastle and Tannadice.
Even though he is now in the last six months of his current contract and entitled to enter into discussions with other clubs, Hearts would be obliged to inform United if that was the case.
United are obviously keen to hang on to him, but their chances could hinge on whether or not they get back to the top flight.
Meanwhile, French defender Edjenguele who has been out for over a month since fracturing a bone in his foot in a training accident, could be back soon.
He’s due to have an X-ray this week and should see him given the green light to start running again.
That being the case, the 30-year-old could be back in action in the next few weeks.
As things stand with Fraser, Edjenguele, Fraser Fyvie, Jordie Briels and Lewis Toshney all on the long-term absentee list, manager Csaba Laszlo doesn’t have his problems to seek.
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