Dundee Utd V St Johnstone - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.McNamara puts off Celtic thoughtsDundee United manager Jackie McNamara insists his players are not thinking about their upcoming meetings with Celtic just yet as they gear up for Saturday's visit of St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership.United are approaching a crucial stage in the season, with Saints the visitors before further home games with Inverness on Tuesday and then Partick Thistle next weekend.After that they take on champions Celtic on no fewer than three occasions, including their Scottish Cup quarter-final tie on March 8 before their League Cup Final clash at Hampden on March 15.It has the potential to shape their season but McNamara is adamant his team will focus firstly on their upcoming matches before turning their attention towards Ronny Deila's side.He said: "It's a big spell coming up but it's all about taking one game at a time."There is nobody in the dressing room talking about the Celtic games because we have of plenty important matches to contend with before then."Saturday's match is getting our full attention first and foremostWhenever you play St Johnstone, you have to be up for the battle if you want to get the right result."They pushed Celtic all the way last weekend and never gave up trying to get an equaliser, so we know what to expect having been in front at McDiarmid Park recently only to lose the match in the end."We have to be ready for it."United are without injured centre-back Callum Morris but Polish stopper Jarek Fojut returns from suspension.Striker Mario Bilate and defender John Souttar are still missing through injury.St Johnstone midfielder Murray Davidson is extremely doubtful after suffering a calf injury against Celtic.But both Danny Swanson and Lee Croft have returned to training following injury and should be fit to play
David Wotherspoon is back from suspension but on-loan United striker Brian Graham is unavailable.Chris Millar has helped St Johnstone make progress in every season he has spent in Perth and is determined to ensure they do not regress by failing to secure a top-six finish.The midfielder joined Saints from Morton in 2008 when they were in the First Division.However, that soon changed after a First Division title triumph and Millar helped St Johnstone establish themselves as a top-flight club.Millar was then part of a team that secured a hat-trick of top-six finishes and regular European qualification, before bringing the club's first major trophy home with last season's William Hill Scottish Cup success.But Saints' defence of the trophy ended two weeks ago against Queen of the South and they slipped out of the top half of the Scottish Premiership the following week at the expense of an in-form Dundee side.Faced with a genuine challenge for a top-six place from the Dens Park side, Millar is desperate to maintain the Perth club's status.Millar said: "Dundee are on a good run of form
They have good players and a good team."We are looking to catch them and Hamilton ahead of us
We have been a wee bit inconsistent since the turn of the year and we want to get back to winning ways so this is a big game."It's a local derby too and we want to get back into the top six
We have fallen out of it for the first time since early in the season."Going out of the cups was disappointing this year against Rangers and Queen of the South but we have still got a lot to play for."Top six is the priority for us
It's more money for the club and you play against the teams at the top end of the table once the split kicks in
You want to be involved in that and since I've been here we have always pushed on each year."After having such a good year last year by winning the cup, we want to finish top six again and have something to play for."
Source : PA
Source: PA