New boy Troy set for Tangerines debut in top-of-the-table clash

NEW signing Troy Brown is in line for his Dundee United debut when Championship hostilities resume at Ayr United tomorrow.

One i ssue with t he 28-year-old could be his match sharpness.

The fact he was expected to join Bury in the summer and they were unable to fulfil their fixtures before being kicked out of League One in England last month means he hasn’t seen competitive action since April.

He has, though, been in training over the summer and that could be enough to earn him a place at Somerset Park.

And boss Robbie Neilson believes he can handle the top-of-the-table clash with the Honest Men.

“He will bring great physicality to the team and he’s experienced as well.

“He’s a good player and he’s one we actually looked at in January and I knew him before from his time at Exeter.”

With the exception of the injured Mark Connolly, United are expected to be back to full strength after making six changes for last weekend’s Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup defeat against Arbroath.

That will see returns to the starting line up for the likes of goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist, Mark Reynolds, Paul McMullan and in-form striker Lawrence Shankland.

This will be Shankland’s first return to Ayr since he switched to Tannadice in the summer.

It will also be a first return for full-back Liam Smith after he made the same journey as Shankland at the end of last season.

Meanwhile, United’s highly-rated youngster Chris Mochrie has been called up to the Scotland U/17 Uefa preparation squad that will be training in Pinatar, Spain, for five days later this month.

Mochrie is the Terrors’ youngest-ever player.

Chris Mochrie (right) has been called up by Scotland.