Fraser in running for Utd return

MARK Durnan is eager to get back to playing at Tannadice so he and his Dundee United team-mates can start repaying the fans for their magnificent backing.

Despite facing another season of their team being in the Championship, well over 4,000 Arabs snapped up season tickets during the summer.

The big defender has been blown away by that level of backing and is determined to reward it by making Tannadice a fortress again this year.

Despite missing out on promotion by a whisker, that was the case in 2016-17 when a solitary league defeat at the hands of Hibs was the only home defeat.

And the same kind of record again is the least he believes the supporters deserve for their show of loyalty.

“The fans have shown great backing for the team through the season tickets they’ve bought. They’ve gone over the target the club set and that’s testament to them. The players can’t thank them enough for that.”

Over the road at Dens Park on Wednesday night, the Tangerines suffered their first setback of this term when a five-game unbeaten run was brought to an abrupt end by city rivals Dundee in the Betfred Cup.

Painful as that was, Durnan knows victory when league business resumes against Queen of the South tomorrow will see what’s been a solid start maintained.

“It will be good to be back at home because (after a run of three away games) it feels like it’s been a while since we’ve been at Tannadice in front of our home fans. I’m looking forward to it. It’s a big match for us because we want to get off to a good start on our own pitch.”

It will, in fact, be just three weeks since the last home runout — a comprehensive 4-1 Betfred group win over Cowdenbeath — but in that time manager Ray McKinnon has added more new faces like Scott McDonald and Fraser Fyvie, both of whom are set for home debuts.

Although after a summer of change the team remains a work in progress,