Dundee United boss Robbie Neilson will look to achieve a fine balancing act of resting players before the play-offs while trying to keep momentum going in the remaining games of the regular season.
The Tangerines approached Saturday’s match in Inverness knowing their slim title hopes had evaporated 24 hours previously as Ross County beat Ayr at Somerset Park.
However, United retained their focus to take all three points against the highland outfit thanks to goals from Pavol Safranko and Paul McMullan with the result guaranteeing Neilson’s men will finish second.
That means fewer games to negotiate in the play-offs with the manager admitting that he is already carefully choosing who to rest in advance of those vital encounters with striker Osman Sow absent from the squad in Inverness.
Neilson said: “It is important to get game time for some of the players but we will also rest some of them.
“We rested Osman. He actually went from starting to being on the bench to not being on the bench as we just felt we have been pushing him the last few weeks and he has a wee calf problem.
“If the result had been different last night (at Ayr) he would have started but we just felt the whole focus was that first play-off game so we decided it was not worth taking a risk with him.
“He will train this week and get a bit of game time next Saturday.
“We also took Peter Pawlett and Calum Butcher off as well just to rest them.
“It is just about trying to manage everyone until we get to the play-offs.”
United will also welcome back some players who have been out injured recently.
Neilson added: “Sam Stanton will start training on Monday, Cammy Smith and Freddy Frans next week.
“We also have Rachid Bouhenna coming back in so they will all bring quality to the team.”
