Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland at Tannadice

Jim Goodwin says this is the best squad he has assembled in his time at Tannadice and it’s difficult to argue with that point given their form this season.

The United manager has unearthed a real gem in Zidanne Iqbal, who has formed a great partnership with Dylan Tait in midfield.

Motherwell got back to winning form last week and remain ambitious with their aspirations for this season, so this should be an absolute cracker at Tannadice with plenty of goalmouth action.

Dundee United goalkeeper Jack Walton made his 100th appearance for the club in recent weeks. Today, there will be a presentation ahead of kick-off to mark his milestone at Tannadice.

Following their 3-0 win in the reverse fixture in September, Well have kept four straight clean sheets against United, winning three of those games.

But, following last season's goalless draw, they also haven't scored, or won, in their latest two visits to Tannadice.

A draw at Dens Park was a creditable result for Saints in September, but they have now gone four games against Dundee without winning.

Indeed, the Dark Blues have won on their latest three visits to McDiarmid Park and are unbeaten in five since Saints enjoyed a 3-1 victory in October 2021.

Having been touted for a big-money transfer that never happened after a stellar campaign last season, Zimbabwe forward Tawanda Maswanhise's form has fairly fallen off a cliff with Motherwell.

The Premiership's stop scorer last season with 17 goals has only found the net twice so far from 5.1 xG in this season’s competition.

At -3.1, that is the biggest xG underperformance of any player in the league.

Image source, SNS

Dundee would need a three-goal win to overtake Hearts into third, but they will have travelled to Perth confident of a victory that would take them above Falkirk into fourth.

Following last weekend's win over Kilmarnock, Steven Pressley's side have won five of their 11 league games this season having taken 20 to achieve that last term.

And they have lost just once in their latest five outings, while their hosts have gone four without a win.

However, Simo Valakari's hosts have drawn three of those - and each of their last three home league games - as well as leaving Dens Park with a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in September, so another tight game is in prospect.

United stretched their unbeaten run to six games with their fine 2-2 draw away to Celtic last Sunday, their best in the Premiership since seven in 2021.

Motherwell are four points behind having ended their seven-game run without a victory by beating St Mirren 1-0 and are now seeking back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.

Calum Macdonald
BBC Scotland at McDiarmid Park

Wee game of attack versus defence is the warm-up for St Johnstone. Five against five.

I think the defenders (and one midfielder) came out on top there. I didn't see many goals.

Having drawn blanks in their showdown last weekend, the top two in the fourth tier will be hoping to make full use of home advantage.

Stranraer, leaders on goal difference, host a Stirling Albion side who thumped Forfar Athletic 5-2 last weekend but were then thrashed 7-3 by League 1 hosts East Kilbride in the Challenge Cup in midweek.

Clyde, meanwhile, host fourth-top Spartans, with Elgin City, three points behind the leading two, also at home - to Dumbarton

• Annan Athletic v Kelty Hearts
• Clyde v Spartans
• Elgin City v Dumbarton
• Forfar Athletic v Edinburgh City
• Stranraer v Stirling Albion

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin tells BBC Scotland: “It has been very stop start for us and, after today, we have another break, so it is very difficult at the moment to build any real momentum.

“Unfortunately, [Neil] Farrugia picked up a groin strain against Celtic, so it’s a simple solution to that one with Daniel Bennie coming back in on the left-hand side and I’m delighted to have Mehdi Merghem back involved in the squad as well.

“We’ve set ourselves objectives for each 11 games and the number of points we need to keep ourselves in contention for the top six come the split, but of course there is always an eye on the teams above you.

"But today is a difficult game. Motherwell have had a recent upturn in results. But we are also in a great place mentally, physically and performances have been really consistent.”

Dundee have not had a clean sheet in eight games since beating United in August's city derby.

That's despite centre-backs Owen Bevan, who returns today, and Ryan Astley being the top two players in the Premiership for clearances and the latter leading the league for interceptions.

Considering Saints striker Josh Fowler's goals and assists have been worth 10 points to his side this season - more than any other player in the Premiership - they will maybe be pleased to see the former Queen's Park man dropped to the bench.

Ross County are now two points clear at the top of the third tier as they host a Peterhead side who are in fifth but only a point above second bottom.

Second-placed Hamilton Academical were held at home by third-top Montrose last weekend but bounced back to knock Championship side Raith Rovers out of the Challenge Cup in midweek as they travel to face bottom side Cove Rangers.

• Alloa Athletic v Airdrieonians
• Cove Rangers v Hamilton Academical
• Montrose v East Fife
• Queen of the South v East Kilbride
• Ross County v Peterhead

Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson tells BBC Scotland: "This is the second time that we repeat the starting XI from the last game in this season.

"This is the first time we have repeated our squad, so we’ve had a lot of instability this season to the squad and the starting XI, so it is quite pleasing that we have this opportunity as we will need all of our players today and coming months.

"We’ve been clear from the beginning that we want to be in the top six and we will fight for that. It is a challenge where you have to rebuild a team completely like we have this summer and having all the injuries and sickness is a challenge.

"But we feel today we can play better and be more solid and structured in all phases of play compared to the last time we were in Dundee before the last international break."

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari tells BBC Scotland: "We have a huge squad and, for tactical reasons, and for some fresh legs and different personalities on the field, that's the reason for the changes.

"We need to stick with our principles, but we are very flexible. There are no magic tricks, we just need to be ready to play a good football match.

"Dundee are a very complete football team. They know what they do and have togetherness. They can defend, are comfortable without the ball but can also be very dangerous.

"We know we need to execute our football actions very well over the 90 minutes."

Image source, SNS

Neil Lennon was far from happy with the officials last night as his Dunfermline side were held to a goalless draw with Fife rivals Raith Rovers.

Watch the incident yourself and listen to the Pars manager's comments after Rovers goalkeeper Josh Rae clashed with striker Olly Thomas in stoppage time.

Last night's goalless draw in the Fife derby in Kirkcaldy means Raith Rovers have gone top of the second tier on goal difference from Partick Thistle.

Dunfermline Athletic are third on the same points as the top two, but Thistle have the chance to go clear again as the Glasgow side visit Queen's Park in a derby of their own.

Stenhousemuir are themselves only two points behind as they visit in-form Greenock Morton, while fifth-top Livingston visit the side just behind them, Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

• Arbroath v Ayr United
• Greenock Morton v Stenhousemuir
• Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Livingston
• Queen's Park v Partick Thistle

Dundee head coach Steven Pressley tells BBC Scotland: "It's been difficult in the respect that a lot of the group are doing particularly well just now.

"Owen Bevan has been one of our star performers, so we've brought him back into the side. We've got the return to fitness of a number of players as well.

"The job of picking the team isn't easy, but the players' performances are very much making my mind up.

"We're playing a very good St Johnstone side that has a real identity to the way they play and real trust in the way they play, as well as a really good culture at the club.

"Our away form last season wasn't strong enough. We've had a couple of good results on the road thus far, but in recent weeks we haven't managed to maintain momentum away from home and that's something we want to address."

Image source, SNS

Steven Pressley has made just one change from the Dundee side that beat Kilmarnock 3-1 last time they were in Premiership action.

Centre-half Owen Bevan returns from injury and goes straight into the starting XI and replaces Joe Wright.

Image source, SNS

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin makes an enforced change to his starting XI. Winger Neil Farrugia is ruled out due to injury, Queens Park Rangers loanee Daniel Bennie is drafted in.

Mehdi Merghem is back after injury, with the French born attacker named on the bench, and could make his first appearance since the start of September.

Image source, SNS

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari makes four changes from the 2-2 draw at Kilmarnock last weekend.

There's an enforced change in goal after Toby Steward's red card and Ross Sinclair starts.

Right-back Liam Smith and forward Kai Fotheringham are fit again and are straight back into the starting line-up, with midfielder Josh Campbell also in from the start.

Top scorer Josh Fowler surprisingly drops to the bench along with Matty Todd, while Reece McAlear is missing from the squad.

Image source, SNS