Youth Side Cant Help Flu-Hit United

Dundee United might have been able to play their Scottish Cup match against St Mirren this weekend, if the youth squad was currently out of the country.

The United youth side is at a training camp in Cyprus, which meant Levein had an even smaller pool of players available for the match against the Saints.

The SFA postponed the Cup match for 9 days, after United informed them they were unable to put a team together because most of the 1st team had come down with the flu bug currently sweeping the country.

12 United players have been hit by the bug, including Derek Stillie, Euan McLean, David McCracken, Garry Kenneth, David Proctor, Gregg Burnett, David Robertson, Morgaro Gomis, Mark Kerr, Greg Cameron, Craig Conway and David Goodwillie.

Whilst Christian Kalvenes, Steven Robb and Noel Hunt are out through injury and Lee Wilkie, Ross Gardiner and Barry Callaghan are at other clubs on loan.

That meant Levein was without at least 18 players, and the club appealed to the SFA to arrange a new date for the Scottish Cup tie.

The match will now go ahead on Tuesday, 16th January and will be a 7:45pm kick-off.

"I am a little bit disappointed but we had no choice," Levein told the Evening Telegraph.

"We spoke to the SFA and they kindly agreed it was almost impossible for us to put a team out on the pitch."

"I haven't got it as yet. I'm probably one of the only ones. I've never experienced anything quite as bad as this."

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