Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dundee wait on skipper fitness
DUNDEE face an anxious wait over the fitness of skipper Darren O’Dea ahead o f S a t u rd ay ’s trip to Aberdeen.
The centre-back hobbled off early in the second half of the 3-0 defeat to Hamilton last weekend and it remains to be seen if he’ll be fit enough to feature at Pittodrie.
It’s been a stop-start season f or t he Ireland international with injury and suspension.
In the early-season Betfred Cup group stages, O’Dea missed the win over Buckie Thistle with a knock before picking up a suspension which ruled him out of the win over Dundee United in round two.
And picking up a knee injury in the defeat at New Douglas Park has added to the Dark Blues’ alreadyextensive injury list.
If O’Dea misses out, boss Neil McCann will be forced to stick with young pairing Kerr Waddell and Jack Hendr y with Kosta Gadzhalov still struggling for fitness.
Fellow-centre-backs Julen Etxabeguren and James McPake are longterm absentees and neither is close to a first-team return.
Also on the injured list are forwards Craig Wighton and Sofien Moussa with both undergoing surgery on knee injuries in the past couple of weeks.
McCann is also waiting on the availability of wingers Randy Wolters and Roarie Deacon.
Deacon missed the Hamilton game altogether because of a knock picked up against Dundee United the game previous.
And Wolters was also in the treatment room at New Douglas Park after limping off with a hamstring complaint in the first half.
That l eaves plenty of injury worries ahead of a tough trip for the Dundee gaffer.