DUFC

KEVIN MCDONALD IN CONTENTION

4th May 2000

Following on from the successful league debut of David McCracken on Tuesday night, United fans may get another glimpse of what the future holds when the team make the short trip across the road to Dens Park on Saturday.

Manager Paul Sturrock, delighted with McCracken's showing against Celtic, will include young midfielder Kevin McDonald in his squad for the derby against Dundee. With several players, including Hugh Davidson, carrying knocks, Paul has put 19-year-old McDonald on stand-by. And if he has to, he will have no worries about using the latest youngster to catch the eye at Tannadice.

"Kevin will be in the squad on merit. For most of the time I've been here he has been out with a hip injury that threatened his career at one point, but he has battled back very well," says the manager.
"He has only been fully fit for about five weeks or so, but in that time he has done a good job in four under-21 games and shown he can pass the ball and win tackles when he has to."

Davidson, who had to come off at half-time against Celtic with a knee problem, will be given every chance to recover and is likely to have a fitness test just a few hours before kick off.

Darren Patterson is definitely fit and will challenge for a starting place after doing well in the under-21 draw with Dundee on Wednesday night. On that performance, Paul was delighted with the spirit shown by a line up that included seven youth team players. "Most of them had played at Hearts on Monday, but they ran themselves into the ground and got a reasonable reward for their efforts," he says.
ends.