Dundee United are set to welcome Peter Pawlett back to action for their weekend clash with St Mirren.
But Tangerines boss Jim Goodwin faces a waiting game for news on Glenn Middleton and Dylan Levitt, both of whom are set to see specialists this week.
Luckless star Pawlett has been out of action since February 4 after sustaining a hamstring injury against Hearts.
Having lasted just 51 minutes of what was his first United start since February 2022, the attacker was visibly upset as he slumped to the ground at Tynecastle.
But Pawlett’s recovery has progressed well – and his manager is excited by the prospect of his return.
Goodwin said: “Peter has made great progress and we’ll be looking to integrate him back into the squad for training this week, with a view to him being available on Saturday.
“It will be terrific to have him back as we have lacked a wee bit of pace and a bit of dynamism; somebody with that creative spark.
“Peter would certainly give us that and give opposition defenders something different to think about.
“He’s a very important player and the most important thing now is that we manage his return properly and get him to where he needs to be.”
Fans are also hoping to see Glenn Middleton return to a United side crying out for pace in the final third, but Goodwin revealed further treatment may be necessary to insure against re-injuring his troublesome hamstring.
And Dylan Levitt, who has been wearing a leg brace since injuring his knee against Aberdeen, is also in line for specialist medical attention before a definitive diagnosis can be offered.
“I wouldn’t like to speculate in terms of how long it’s going to be for Dylan,” Goodwin said.
“If people are seeing him about the place with a leg brace on, it can perhaps look worse than it actually is.
“At the moment it’s very much a precautionary thing but, again, Dylan is going to see a specialist this week also, so we should know the full extent of his issue by the end of the week.”
Meanwhile, Goodwin hailed goalkeeper Mark Birighitti for his “positive reaction” to the pressure he has found himself under of late.
A series of costly errors saw Tangerines fans demanding the Australian stopper be dropped, with youngster Jack Newman given the nod against Ross County, while a move for American keeper Bill Hamid was progressing behind the scenes.
Goodwin’s arrival as manager killed off the Hamid deal, with Birighitti challenged to rediscover his self-belief.
And the United boss has been pleased with the Australian’s displays.
Goodwin said: “I decided not to pursue [the Bill Hamid move].
“And I have to say, I’ve been very happy with Mark Birighitti in the last couple of games.
“I know he has come in for some criticism in recent weeks but his reaction since I came in has been excellent.
“He’s looked fairly assured in the games we’ve played; I couldn’t point the finger at him over any of the goals we’ve conceded.
“Much like every other player out there, confidence plays a part and, with Mark, I think it’s a case of getting that self-belief back and realising he’s a very good keeper when he’s on his game.
“You could say that about a number of players in the squad, so that’s been the message to him and a number of others, and I think we’ve seen a positive reaction from them all.
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