Injury Doubts Ahead Of Rangers Clash

Dundee United travel to Ibrox this weekend, hoping to continue their impressive run against the Glasgow side.

Since 2004, Dundee United have only lost 3 of a possible 12 SPL matches against Rangers, including a 2-1 victory at Tannadice earlier in the campaign.

On the 28th of August 2007, goals from Lee Wilkie (28mins) and a penalty from captain Barry Robson (54mins) gave Dundee United a deserved win - though Daniel Cousin's 51st minute equaliser from the penalty spot had threatened to turn the match on its head.

Even after the shocking events at Fir Park last weekend, a 4-1 win over Hearts midweek, should have the United players full of confidence and determined make it 2 wins out of 2 this season.

Although, Craig Levein might have to do without 3 of the side which played against Hearts, with the influential Lee Wilkie, Grzegorz Szamotulski and Willo Flood all struggling with knocks.

Willo Flood has a dead leg and Polish goalkeeper Szamotulski is also a doubt for the tip to Ibrox, after struggled with an ankle injury for most of the 2nd half against Hearts.

While it's looking increasingly unlikely that central defender Wilkie will play against Rangers, because of a tight hamstring picked up midweek.

"I came off just before the end, but I first felt my hamstring in the warm-up," confessed Wilkie to the Dundee Courier.

"The hamstring is the most worrying, but I'm hoping it will be OK because, apart from derbies, Old Firm games are the ones you look forward to most and I'd be gutted if I missed it.

"We've had a few good results against Rangers up here and it would be nice if we could go down and get one in Glasgow, but we know these games are always tough."

Craig Levein will wait until tomorrow morning before making a final decision on all 3 players, but it would be a major blow to take on one of the Old Firm sides without your best players available.

"There is nothing too serious, but with the games coming thick and fast there is not a lot of time for them to recover," admitted Levein.

"We're giving their injuries as much time as we can to settle down and it will be tomorrow before a decision is made on any of them."

Meanwhile, Rangers will be without Lee McCulloch, Steven Smith and Andy Webster, but Charlie Adam and Nacho Novo are both available and are expected to make an appearance at some stage during the match.