Dundee

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Falkirk are still missing Leon McCann with a knock along with long-term absentees Lewis Neilson (ankle), Coll Donaldson (abdomen), Tom Lang (foot), Aidan Nesbitt (foot) and Jamie Sneddon (hernia).

Killie are assessing two unnamed players following Wednesday's defeat by Aberdeen. Goalkeeper Max Stryjek (medical issue), Lewis Mayo (calf), Jamie Brandon (ankle/groin), Djenairo Daniels (knee), Marley Watkins (heel) and Matty Kennedy (hip) are out.

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Hearts midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof (hamstring) joins Ryan Fulton (groin) and Finlay Pollock (hamstring) on the sidelines but defenders Frankie Kent and Christian Borchgrevink are both fit and back in contention.

Dundee have everyone available except on-loan Hearts playmaker Yan Dhanda, who is unable to face his parent club.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Former Tynecastle skipper Steven Pressley believes the stability at Hearts helps makes them a "powerful force" as his Dundee side try to stun the Premiership leaders this weekend.

Pressley knows how tricky a task it will be against this Hearts side having spent eight years in Gorgie, as well as captaining the club during their blistering start to the 2005-06 season before manager George Burley was sacked.

Asked whether the current campaign brought back memories of 20 years ago, Pressley replied: "Yes, but [the manager] has not been sacked, and I can't see them changing three or four managers in this season!

"The good thing for them is that they have got much more stability around the decision-making at the football club than what we had during that period."

While Pressley played under Burley, John McGlynn [as a caretaker], Graham Rix and Valdas Ivanauskas that season, Hearts are a lot more settled under head coach Derek McInnes.

And the former Hearts centre-half has been very impressed by what McInnes is doing in his few months in the capital.

"For a team, at this stage of the season, to be six points ahead of Celtic surprises everyone, let's be honest," he said.

"But the one thing that doesn't surprise me is that they have got a very astute and a very knowledgeable head coach that understands the game, and he also very much understands Hearts as a football club.

"I think it is a football club where if you get some early results, and you get the momentum and you get the support behind you, they can become a very powerful force and we are seeing that at present."

Despite both turning out for Rangers and Dundee United during their playing days, McInnes and Pressley only played together once - for Scotland in a 2002 friendly defeat to Portugal.

Centre-half Joe Shaughnessy has revealed getting out of his Scottish football comfort zone was the reason behind the 33-year-old's decision to leave Dundee for Australian club Newcastle Jets this summer. (The Courier), external

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• None of the past 10 Scottish Premiership matches between Hearts and Dundee have been drawn (6 Hearts wins, 4 Dundee) since a 1-1 stalemate in October 2021.

• After their 1-0 victory in April, Dundee could pick up back-to-back away wins over Hearts in the top flight for the first time since December 1998.

• Hearts are unbeaten in 14 Premiership matches (W12 D2), since a 1-0 home loss to Dundee in April, winning eight of 10 games this season.

• Hearts' 26 points is their joint most at this stage of a top-flight campaign this century (also 26 in 2005-06), with Aberdeen last season the only non-Old Firm club to better that tally in the same period (28 points).

• Dundee are winless in all five of their away league games this season (D2 L3), their longest wait for a victory on the road from the start of a top-flight campaign since 2021-22 (won their sixth). The Dark Blues could lose four straight away games in the same Premiership season for the first time since December 2021/January 2022 (5).

• Hearts pair Lawrence Shankland and Claudio Braga are the joint top scorers in the Premiership this season with six goals each – Shankland will be aiming to score in three straight league outings for the first time since May 2024.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee must "back up" their performances against the Premiership's big sides with results against teams around them, says defender Ryan Astley.

Dark Blues fans have endured a turbulent start to the season, marrying strong showings against the Old Firm - a deserved draw against Rangers and a convincing win over Celtic - with disappointing losses to Falkirk and St Mirren.

"We need to back up these results against the bigger teams with points on the board from other games," Astley said.

"I would say we have had a few good results, it's just against teams that are more around us we need to pick up more points against. Our away from has not been too great so we need to be picking up points away from home.

"It was building straight away from the gaffer coming in, and I believe you are starting to see more of how he wants us to play."

Dundee led Falkirk at one point last Saturday and could have risen, albeit briefly, as high as third had they held on and results gone their way.

They now seek a first away win of the Premiership season when they visit leaders Hearts on Saturday.

"It would be massive for everyone's confidence and we are going there hoping to win - 100% we believe we can do that," the 24-year-old said.

"We know we are going to have to be at our very best to get something there. It is a challenge as footballers, you want to play at these grounds against good teams so we are looking forward to it."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Steven Pressley has praised Willie Collum's "honesty and transparency" after the Scottish FA referees' chief told Dundee they were incorrectly denied a penalty in the 2-1 Premiership defeat to Falkirk last Saturday.

With the Dark Blues leading 1-0, Ethan Hamilton appeared to be fouled in the box by Kyrell Wilson.

However, the VAR agreed with referee Ross Hardie's decision to award Falkirk a free-kick instead of a spot-kick to the visitors.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's league visit to Hearts, Pressley said: "It wasn't me that spoke directly to Willie, it was David Longwell [technical manager].

"David had a very productive conversation with him and Willie was very open and transparent and said that the officiating, they got it wrong and that after reviewing it, it was a penalty kick.

"In the aftermath, that is all we can ask for - honesty and transparency. It doesn't change anything, we obviously want these decisions to be better in real time, but all we can ask for in the aftermath is a real honesty around it and Willie is very much doing that at present."

Tenth-place Dundee are now preparing for a daunting trip to Tynecastle to face table-topping Hearts.

However, Pressley believes his side's performances against both halves of the Old Firm this season are cause for optimism going into the encounter with his former club.

He said: "Going to Tynecastle just now is probably the hardest game of the season.

"I would say we have demonstrated this year, going to Ibrox and getting a point, beating Celtic at home, that we are a very capable team.

"Like I said when we visited Ibrox, when we played Celtic, it is going to take an elite level of performance, a really near perfect performance from us, to win the game.

"But we have seen that on occasion this year so we will go there and will certainly try and repeat that."

Despite winning only two of their opening 10 league games, Dundee are just five points off third place.

Pressley said: "It is amazing because my wife messaged me at half-time at Falkirk - just to make this clear I didn't see the message at half-time, I got it at the end of the game - but she messaged me to say 'you are third in the league'.

"Then by the end of the game we are third from bottom so I think that shows just now how tight the league is.

"But we are also aware that to try and propel ourselves we need to show a level of consistency."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premiership trip to leaders Hearts.

Here are the key points:

• Pressley says Scottish FA head of refereeing Willie Collum has told Dundee they should have been awarded a penalty in the 2-1 defeat to Falkirk last time out.

• While disappointed not to get the spot-kick, Pressley says: "In the aftermath, that is all we can ask for - honesty and transparency."

• The Dark Blues boss says his side have shown against the likes of Celtic and Rangers they can be "extremely competitive" but insists it is going to take an "elite level of performance, a really near perfect performance" to get a positive result at Hearts.

• On the challenge they face at Tynecastle: "Just now it is probably the hardest game of the season."

• While being surprised to see his old club eight points clear at the top, Pressley says: "Am I surprised with what he [Derek McInnes] is creating there? No I'm not."

• He adds: "I think it is a football club where if you get some early results and you get the momentum and the support behind you they can become a very powerful force and we are seeing that at present."

• Hearts' stunning start reminds him of the 2005-06 season: "The good thing for them is they have much more stability around the decision-making at the club than what we had during that period."

• On Brendan Rodgers' Celtic departure this week: "I'm really disappointed to see Brendan go because I think our game up here requires elite level managers."

• Team news: "All our players are fit and ready to go" but Yan Dhanda misses out under the terms of his loan from Hearts.

Billy Koumetio is back in training at Dundee following injury. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

After an encouraging first half, Dundee failed to adapt in the second half to Falkirk's tweaks and fell to defeat.

VAR has stolen headlines again – this time for their failure to award Dundee a penalty at a pivotal stage of the game.

That's not said to excuse Dundee's performance. Their showing after the interval was not enough to win the game despite holding a lead - but the refereeing unfairly denied the visitors a huge advantage to take a further stronghold on the match to win it.

Both things can be true.

The Dark Blues could have potentially gone 2-0 up and possibly against 10 men given Kyrell Wilson was already on a yellow card before committing a reckless foul.

Simon Murray, who was such a crucial player last season, is still lacking match sharpness. He got on the end of a handful of chances you would favour him to score last season – these are the kind of games where he would tend to be the difference.

With all that taken into account, I wouldn't be surprised if we beat high-flying Hearts on Saturday. Dundee seem to capitulate this season when expected to kick on and go on the front foot, while our best results - like the victory over Celtic and draw at Ibrox - have come when we are the underdogs.

With a young squad we have to be braced for inconsistencies, Steven Pressley has stressed that several times.

It is a long season and the complexion of the league can change very quickly – we were sitting joint third at half-time on Saturday!

But I can't help but feel the result in Falkirk was a huge missed opportunity for us, especially given that we have some very challenging fixtures ahead.

We won our last game at Tynecastle and generally have a decent record against Hearts. It's just a coin toss at the moment which Dundee side will show up – the fearless underdogs or the stumbling challengers.

Dundee have bolstered the team handling the new Camperdown stadium application as the wait for a council decision goes on. (The Courier), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Watch Sportscene analysis as Dundee were denied a penalty in their 2-1 defeat to Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership.

Watch highlights as Falkirk came from behind to secure a late victory over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

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Manager Steven Pressley insists he's placing "no blame" on defender Clark Robertson who cancelled out his first half header with an own goal in Dundee's 2-1 defeat to Falkirk.

Robertson headed home Cameron Congreve's corner in the first half before diverting Ethan Williams' volley into his own net to level the score.

Connor Allan scored the winning goal for Falkirk in the 89th minute to confine Dundee to their fifth defeat of the season.

"Clark has been terrific this year and he's scored again," manager Pressley said.

"My belief is when defenders want to defend key situations, they're always going to score own goals.

"It's part of their career. I've scored many in my time. You've got to want to defend those situations and if you put yourself in the situations where you've got to defend, you're going to have moments like that.

"But to be honest Clark's been exceptional. He's been a real leader for us and he's been a real shining light so there's no blame from us."

We asked for your views on Dundee's 2-1 defeat against Falkirk.

Here's what some of you said:

Albert: Disappointing after last week's historical win but that's football. Onwards and hopefully upwards as it's a long season.

Iain: We need to see out games from winning positions. So frustrating after a momentous win against Celtic last weekend. Horrendous refereeing and VAR decision robbed us of a 2-0 lead and red card for Falkirk. Three hard games ahead against Hearts, Rangers and Hibs. Makes this result all the more galling.

Mark: Poor result after going ahead but think we need to keep the faith. We have signed the majority of the squad on long-term contracts so just avoid relegation this season and build.

Gary: If you don't get the decisions you've got to make it happen and we didn't do that. VAR failed again but we didn't get the second we needed, Falkirk did. These are the games we need the points from but poor defending has cost us again. Substitutions weakened us too, there's better options on the bench for that type of game.

Brian: A centre-half walks through numerous Dundee players and scores the winner, shocking. After last week's great result to this loss is night and day. Substitutions again were Dundee's downfall. Yan Dhanda needs to be returned to Hearts, some of the others on loan need to be returned to their teams as they are awful. Certain new signings are a complete waste of money and worse than the players we lost. Will not get started on the goalkeeper, he is awful.

Andy: Credit to Falkirk for turning it around but that's the second time this season VAR has robbed Dundee of points. What are they looking at for the Ethan Hamilton booking? That's a Dundee penalty all day and a red card! Two up with Falkirk down to 10 men, the three points go up the road to Dens. Hopeless from the VAR officials. So bad!

John: A mixture of poor refereeing decisions and slack defending cost us dearly. As Steven Pressley said we deserved something out of this, I'd say three points but for a really poor refereeing call to book Hamilton and not give a penalty. Bewildering.

Ross: He has to go! This isn't getting any better. Poor substitutions and poor decisions made. What's the point in beating Celtic and drawing with Rangers if we can't turn up to play against the teams we should be competitive against? Relegation looms.

Bob: Played well in the first half and could have been 2-0, especially if the stonewall penalty was given. Sat off them in the second half and it was only a matter of time. Subs didn't look interested and made no impact. Left the ground devastated.

Back-up centre-back Connor Allan scored a stunning 90th-minute goal on his first Falkirk start to complete a brilliant turanround against Dundee and hand his side a first home Scottish Premiership win of the season.

How concerned are you Dundee failed to build on the momentum of the Celtic win?

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley: "We went in at half-time with a deserved lead and acquitted ourselves well in the first half.

"We had good organisation, pressed at he right times and looked a threat. But we were under no illusions that Falkirk are a very dangerous team and aggressive in their second-half performances.

"The disappointment was we didn't match their aggression in the opening 20 minutes of the second half. The subs came on and gave us a real impetus and changed the flow of the game.

"In the last 15 minutes we looked the more likely side and just as we were getting some pressure we lose such a poor goal.

"Bar the Aberdeen game our games have been decided by fine margins but we can't allow a margin like that. We can't allow that second goal to happen, it's really disappointing."

On the penalty incident involving Ethan Hamilton and Kyrell Wilson, Pressley said: "I've only seen it from one angle, and from that angle it's certainly a claim for a penalty. I'd need to see it from another angle but it was a key moment when we were winning 1-0 and playing reasonably well.

"It was a chance to get that all-important second goal but it wasn't to be and I don't want to use it as an excuse because we were still ahead and should have taken something from the game."

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Falkirk lost another centre-back this week as Lewis Neilson suffered a major ankle injury to join Coll Donaldson (abdomen) and Tom Lang on the sidelines.

Fellow long-term absentees Aidan Nesbitt (foot), Ethan Ross (ankle) and Jamie Sneddon (hernia) remain out along with Leon McCann.

Billy Koumetio has returned to training to give Dundee a full complement of players. Paul Digby picked up a knock in training but should be fit.

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Midfielder Ethan Hamilton is urging Dundee to back up their historic victory over Celtic with another impressive performance at Falkirk.

Dundee's 2-0 win over the champions last Sunday was their first at home to Celtic in 37 years.

The victory moved Steven Pressley's side up to ninth in the Premiership, ahead of Motherwell, Aberdeen and Livingston, and Hamilton is hoping Dundee can keep their momentum for Saturday's trip to Falkirk.

"Football moves quickly," the 26-year-old said.

"You've got to be ready for the next game and that's what we've been focusing on in training to back that performance up and go and really try and take the game to Falkirk, which we know will be another difficult game.

"The work the manager and the coaching staff do is excellent and it's down to us players to take that on to the pitch.

"The Aberdeen result [4-0 defeat for Dundee] was really frustrating and I think the lads felt we had to try and put that right and show that we're going to be really competitive and aggressive.

"I think we showed that in the game against Celtic so we just need to keep that up moving forward."

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John McGlynn expects Dundee "to be pragmatic and try to deny" Falkirk when the sides meet on Saturday.

Bairns boss McGlynn worked with Dundee counterpart and ex-Falkirk manager Steven Pressley at Hearts and the latter masterminded a 2-0 win over champions Celtic last weekend.

"Dundee are off the back of an amazing result," said McGlynn. "I know Steven very well from working with him at Hearts.

"The way he set up against Celtic was different class, everything you would expect from a defensive-minded coach in terms of organising a team.

"I'm not sure exactly if they're going to come here and do the exact same, or if they've got some kind of tweak in it, but I don't think they'll be expansive and open.

"I think they'll want to be pragmatic and try to deny us and hit us on the counter-attack, as they did against Celtic."

Pressley briefly assisted McGlynn in caretaker charge of Hearts in 2005.

"He was always a talker on the game," said McGlynn.

"He's obviously very opinionated and he would always be talking about the game and what he would do, what formation he would play back in the day. So, yeah, it was a certainty that he would be involved in coaching and management, that was a gimme."

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• This is the first time Falkirk and Dundee have met in the top flight since a 1-0 win for the Bairns in March 1993.

• Dundee have won their past two league games against newly-promoted opponents, last winning three in a row against such sides in the top flight in August 2000.

• Falkirk have drawn five of their past six home games in the top flight (L1), including three of four games this season.

• After their 2-0 victories over Celtic, Dundee could earn back-to-back wins in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since March 2024.

• Against Motherwell last time out, Scott Arfield scored his first top-flight league goal for Falkirk since May 2010 against St Mirren, 15 years and 170 days beforehand. It was the longest gap between Scottish top-flight goals by a player for a specific side since Charlie Mulgrew for Dundee United in October 2021 (15y 247d since his last).

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley says he is a "very different manager and person" from when he took charge at Falkirk in 2010 as he prepares to face the club who gave him his first managerial opportunity on Saturday.

Pressley was appointed Falkirk manager in February 2010 following the resignation of Eddie May.

The Bairns were relegated to the first division at the end of that season, but Pressley stayed on until 2013, winning the Scottish Challenge Cup in the 2011-12 season.

"I'm very grateful to the club, it was my first real step into coaching and management," he said, reflecting on his time at Falkirk.

"I managed there for almost three and a half years, and it was a great learning experience for me.

"I really enjoyed working with the board there and I hope I eventually built a good rapport with the support, so I'm looking forward to going back. I've not been back for a very long time.

"But a very, very different manager and a different person returns. Through time, experience and life, in general, you change a lot and I've changed a great deal from the manager who walked through the door.

"I was a very emotional young manager, a manager with exceptional drive, determination and very passionate on things. I've not lost a lot of those things but I'm far more controlled than ever before, more considerate and understanding than I was as a young manager.

"It's just natural progression and a lot of education.

"It doesn't mean you get better results but I like to think I'm a more complete leader than I was then."

Claire Thomson
BBC Sport Scotland

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley has been speaking to the media as his side prepare to travel to Falkirk in the Premiership this weekend.

Here are the main points:

• Pressley enjoyed celebrating Dundee's win over Celtic on Sunday but says his side have to "reset and go again".

• "It's a really important result for us, you can see the confidence gained in the players, but now we must demonstrate we can take that into the next game," he says.

• Pressley believes it is a "pivotal weekend" for the Dens Park club as Falkirk are a "well-organised and progressive" side.

• He says: "We could make real progress and find ourselves in the upper half of the league but if we don't get a result, we'll find ourselves near the bottom."

• The former Falkirk boss wants the team to play with an "elite mindset" and show "resilience" while they continue to make progress, but emphasises that progression will happen in "baby steps".

• Simon Murray has had a stop-start season so far due to injury, but the Dundee manager describes him as a "talisman and key character" and says the club have a "duty" to get the striker back to full fitness.

• Pressley insists he is now a "very different manager and person" to the one who took charge at Falkirk in 2010.

• "I'm far more controlled and considerate in my understanding than I was as a young manager. It's just natural progression and a lot of education. It doesn't mean you get better results but I like to think I'm a more complete leader than I was then," he admits.

• Pressley says every player trained on Wednesday, with Paul Digby the only concern after he suffered a knock during the session.