Dundee

Dundee want to prove their doubters wrong in Sunday's Dundee derby, according to defender Ryan Astley. (The Courier), external

Image source, SNS

Dundee boss Tony Docherty has the loss of another key player to injury to deal with.

Jordan McGhee was forced off during his side's 3-1 Scottish Cup quarter-final defeat away to Hearts.

The 28-year-old was replaced by Mo Sylla for the start of the second 45, as the struggling Dark Blues went down to a sixth defeat in eight games.

"His Achilles has been bothering him for quite a while," said manager Docherty.

"He's been playing through it but at half-time he said he just couldn't continue. He wasn't able to get into a sprint.

"It affected his performance, I think you could see that in the first half, when our ball retention in that midfield area was poor. But Jordan's a warrior. He'll put himself out there, but he had to come off because of injury."

Docherty has been without several influential players in recent months and he is desperate to get them back on the pitch over the coming months as his team – second-bottom of the Scottish Premiership – bid to ease their relegation concerns.

"I've been ravaged with injuries in terms of experienced players this season," he said.

"When you get to this stage of competitions, that's when players with experience maybe make the right decisions.

"We've had too many injuries this season. I'm relying on a lot of people to come back and really contribute to what is now a nine-game season.

"We've got nine cup finals and out of those, we need to win as many games as we can. Our next game's a derby (away to Dundee United) and we need to make sure we dust ourselves down and be ready for it."

We asked for your views on Dundee's 3-1 Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts.

Here's what some of you said:

Alan: Tony Docherty needs a reality check. Our defence has more holes than a sieve, our midfield is nowhere near physical enough to compete at this level and going into a game like this with only two signed strikers (one injured) is an absolute disgrace. To survive a relegation dogfight you need grit and the ability to defend. We have neither!

Mark: Great following but let down as usual. Baffles me that the midfield sat too deep all game but not a soul in site marking their player for the first and third goal on the edge of box. Tactics sit with Docherty so his time is up. I hope they're happy with the million they got for Luke McCowan, will cost us more than that in the long run

Jim: Tony keeps going on about second-half performances. We need them from the start not half way through. Nine cup finals [left in the league]? We could be going down.

Boab: Devastated that we're out but Docherty must now get the team up for the derby and the remaining league games. Didn't think we played that badly we certainly didn't get any 50/50 decisions for a terrible referee. Yet again superb backing from our fantastic support.

Lammy: Midfield over ran again. Defence left exposed. Forwards left with no service. Has been the same story all season.

Kevin: Have always been a staunch supporter of Docherty but I'm afraid my patience has run out, nothing has been done to arrest the constant leaking of goals, we're not going to get anywhere while conceding two-plus goals every week, far too weak in midfield and he doesn't seem capable of making any changes to make us harder to beat.

Did you take in Dundee's Scottish Cup defeat by Hearts, or were you following from home?

Have your say on the match, external

Dundee manger Tony Docherty: "Disappointed. I thought we played our part in the second half. We had Hearts exactly where we wanted them. We had everything going in our favour at 1-1.

"I don't think it's a free-kick that leads to the second goal but we need to defend that better. The third goal kind of kills it. We should do better in the middle of the pitch.

"If I get that bravery for the next nine games, which are nine cup finals, then we'll be okay but I need the players to step up and show that bravery."

Image source, SNS

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Scotland at Tynecastle

Although it ended in defeat for Dundee, there were still lots of positive aspects to take from their Scottish Cup defeat by Hearts.

Fin Robertson and Josh Mulligan gave the Hearts midfield a workload they struggled with at times.

And if the strike from Oluwaseun Adewumi had ended up in the back of the net rather than crashing off the crossbar, the game could have had a very different outcome.

The battle now for Dundee is to find a way to beat the drop from the Scottish Premiership.

Image source, SNS

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Hearts will still be smarting from the Edinburgh derby that leaves Neil Critchley's side four places behind city rivals Hibernian in seventh spot in the Premiership when they host top-flight rivals Dundee in Friday's first Scottish Cup quarter-final.

However, the Englishman will be reminding his players that Sunday was only their second defeat in 12 outings during a generally upward curve of results and performances.

Included in that run was a 6-0 hammering of Friday's visitors at Dens Park at the start of February and they have also beaten Dundee in their latest three visits to Tynecastle since a 2-1 loss in February 2022.

On this occasion, Tony Docherty's side also arrive having suffered three straight away defeats and therefore as underdogs.

However, while their 1-1 draw at home to St Johnstone on Saturday meant they failed to increase the three-point gap between themselves and the bottom side, it at least ended a run of three consecutive losses overall.

• This is the first Scottish Cup meeting between the sides since Hearts won 1-0 at Dens Park in a March 2001 fourth-round replay.

• Slovakia midfielder Robert Tomaschek was the match winner that day after Argentine striker Juan Sara's opener for Dundee at Tynecastle had been cancelled out by winger Juanjo's late reply.

• Hearts lost to Rangers in the semi-finals last season.

• Dundee, who lost to Rangers the last time they reached the quarters in 2022, are looking to reach the last four for the first time since they lost to Gretna in 2006.

• Dundee have not lifted the cup since 1910, while Hearts won it for the eighth time in 2012.

What to look out for on Scottish Cup quarter-final weekend.

We asked for your views on what the one thing nobody is talking about at Dundee.

Here's what some of you said:

Gary: The goals have all-but dried up and Simon Murray does a power of running but instead of being in the positions to score, he's usually filling the gaps his team-mates are leaving. They rarely match his workload or drive to succeed. A more stocked midfield would take pressure off both him and the defence, as well as providing the service he needs.

Mark: The proposed move to the new stadium seems to have died a death. Going to be a cracking stadium for championship football. In that case, it will never be full unless Take That play a concert there.

Kenny: The recruitment this season, or lack thereof, has been a complete and utter shambles. One striker for the run in, midfield was weak before the ridiculous last minute sale of McCowan, and hasn't been strengthened either, but one striker to see out the season is amateur planning and is absolutely farcical.

Anon: Best thing about Dundee is that Murray continues to cover over a multitude of defensive howlers. The worst thing is the failure to stop cheap goals. Any ball in our box causes havoc in the defence and heart attacks in the stands.

Rod: Dundee fans can be quick to turn on the team and manager. Other teams know this and use it to their advantage. We need to be more supportive otherwise it will be another few years of relegation and then winning the Championship (which is not easy). We need to have a solid number of years making sure we stay in the Premiership.

Image source, SNS

Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin remains sidelined because of concussion, while Aidan Denholm, Craig Halkett, Stephen Kingsley (all hamstring) and Frankie Kent (quad) are still out.

Dundee midfielder Scott Fraser is back in training after a groin injury but is unlikely to feature. They remain without Antonio Portales (calf), Seb Palmer-Houlden (knee), Clark Robertson (hamstring) and Billy Koumetio (ankle).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Dundee defender Ziyad Larkeche has told how he turned the "big shock" of his first injury setback into a "learning experience".

The 22-year-old left-back, who is on loan from Queens Park Rangers, recently returned to action after three months out with a hamstring problem.

He said: "When the doctor called me I didn't expect that because I had never had an injury, so it was a big shock at the beginning.

"But after, you try to do the right things to be back as soon as possible – to improve your sleeping, your diet, all the small details like having the good people around you otherwise you are just wasting your time.

"So even improving areas like tactically watching more football and stuff maybe you can't do when you are playing. Of course I don't want to be injured again, but I tried to use this time the best I can, so it was a learning experience for me but hopefully not many more."

Larkeche made his comeback in the 6-0 thrashing by Hearts at the start of last month and the sides lock horns again on Friday night, this time at Tynecastle in the quarter-finals of the Scottish Cup.

"I think in everyone's head it is more the focus of going to Hampden, but everyone has got ego and pride and wants to perform at their best on Friday night," added Larkeche.

"I believe in every game you need to be solid because you get punished. It is a totally different context, totally different game, and there is a big opportunity to get to Hampden."

Dundee are locked in a Premiership relegation battle as they struggle to build on the highs of last season's sixth-place finish.

Inconsistency has plagued the Dark Blues this term and their cause hasn't been helped by injuries, while the summer departure of talisman Luke McCowan has been keenly felt.

Tony Docherty's side have gone eight league games without victory, including five defeats, to leave them foundering in second bottom.

It is tense times for the Dark Blues but you know your club best, so what is the one thing - good or bad - nobody is talking about at Dens Park?

Let us know., external

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Tony Docherty wants his Dundee team to "show the best version" of themselves against Hearts in the last eight of the Scottish Cup on Friday and find some "redemption" after last month's league defeat by the capital club.

The Dark Blues were on the wrong end of a 6-0 scoreline when the sides met on league business at Dens Park at the start of February.

Docherty believes they can use the pain from that experience as an added motivation when the teams met at Tynecastle.

"On that day that professionally we didn't represent ourselves properly," Docherty said.

"When your pride is dented like that you want to do something about it, so there is possibly a redemption there.

"That was a day we didn't enjoy. We want to make sure we show the best version of ourselves and we have an opportunity to do that in a cup competition."

That defeat by Hearts marked the start of a five-match losing run in the league, one which came to an end with their weekend draw against St Johnstone.

Despite failing to get the wins in recent matches, Docherty has seen an improvement in his team's performance levels.

Friday's game represents a break from the Premiership and a chance to create a little bit of Scottish Cup history.

"The last time the club were in the Scottish Cup semi-final was 2006 so there is an opportunity to go and make a wee bit of history there - first time in 19 years to get to a semi-final.

"We are in the competition and we have got an opportunity to get to a semi-final so it is a really exciting prospect."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Dundee manager Tony Docherty has been speaking to the media before Friday's Scottish Cup quarter-final against Hearts at Tynecastle.

Here are the best bits from his news conference:

• Says "there is an opportunity to go and make a wee bit of history" with Dundee aiming to reach their first Scottish Cup semi-final since 2006.

• Hearts beat Dundee 6-0 in the league last month and Docherty admits his side "didn't represent ourselves properly" in that game.

• He is seeking "redemption" and wants "to show the best version" of the team at Tynecastle.

• Docherty insists his side have "looked more like ourselves" in the past couple of games and is focused on the future despite an awful run of league results that has seen them Dundee drop to 11th in the Premiership table.

• On Hearts – Docherty says they are a good side, who have recruited well. He says he knows their strengths but also their weaknesses and wants "to exploit those weaknesses" come Friday.

• Team news: Scott Fraser is back on the training pitch but not ready for this game. Billy Koumetio, Clark Robertson, Antonio Potales and Seb Palmer-Houlden are also out.