Steven Pressley says his Dundee side must be wary of a wounded Motherwell when the teams meet at Dens Park on Saturday. The Dundee head coach is dealing with a severe injury crisis ahead of the 3pm kick-off.
Pressley admitted the situation is testing. "It is probably one of the most challenging periods, for injuries, in my time as a head coach," he said. He joked that having fewer available players at least makes team selection simpler.
His squad is severely depleted. Simon Murray, Fin Robertson, Ash Hay, Charlie Reilly and Joe Wright are all ruled out through injury. Joe Westley and Ryan Finnigan are doubts for the match, while Zan Besir is suspended.
Dundee's opponents arrive on the back of a heavy home defeat to Aberdeen. That result left Motherwell in the top half of the Premiership. Their recent form has been mixed.
Despite that setback, Pressley believes Motherwell remain a potent threat. He pointed to their high possession statistics as evidence of their quality. "Often a wounded animal is a very dangerous proposition," the Dundee boss noted.
A victory would send Dundee into the international break with points from their opening matches. Pressley also took time to praise defender Luke Graham, who received a late call-up to the senior Scotland squad this week. He said the player fully deserves the opportunity and backed him to become a Scotland regular for years to come.
Motherwell will look to bounce back from their Aberdeen loss, where they conceded goals. Their next scheduled league fixture is away to league leaders Celtic. The club's current injuries list includes Callum Hendry, Johnny Koutroumbis and Jordan McGhee.
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