St Johnstone vs Dundee – News and Probable Lineups

St Johnstone will aim to snap their streak without a victory when they host Dundee at McDiarmid Park for a round 13 encounter in the Scottish Premiership this Saturday.

The home team finds itself in the seventh position with 14 points accumulated from 12 matches, while Dundee occupies the fifth spot with 17 points earned from 11 league encounters.

Match overview

St Johnstone has had quite a decent start to their first season after winning promotion back to the Scottish Premiership, following their success in the Championship last season.

Simo Valakari’s team has recorded three wins, five draws, and four defeats in their 12 matches thus far, positioning them seventh in the league with a total of 14 points, five points clear of the bottom two and just two points shy of the top six.

However, they are currently facing their longest winless stretch of the season, having not secured a win in their last four Scottish Premiership fixtures, which include three draws and a single defeat.

During this span, St Johnstone’s defensive weaknesses have been highlighted, conceding nine of the 19 goals in the league this season across these four games, including a disheartening 4-0 loss to Rangers.

Nonetheless, the Saints have shown commendable resilience, coming from behind to draw 2-2 against both Motherwell and Kilmarnock in their most recent two outings, with their latest performance featuring a spirited comeback with 10 men against Killie.

With a desire to build on these performances and end their run without a win, St Johnstone will be aiming to achieve their first home victory since defeating Hibernian 2-1 at the start of September, while they also seek to beat Dundee for the first time since October 2024, when they secured a 2-1 victory on their travels.

Dundee arrives at this fixture following a morale-boosting victory over Kilmarnock, where Ashley Hay netted twice in the final 10 minutes to secure a 3-1 triumph for Steven Pressley’s squad.

This win propelled Dundee to fourth place in the Scottish Premiership with 17 points from 11 matches, though they have recently slipped behind Falkirk following the Bairns securing a 2-0 win against Celtic in matchday 12.

Dundee’s match on matchday 12 against Hibernian was postponed due to Hibs participating in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals, meaning Dundee has the advantage of an additional three days of rest compared to their opponents.

Despite a strong start to the season, Pressley’s side has struggled on their travels, managing two wins and suffering three defeats in their five away matches in the Scottish Premiership.

However, Dundee can find confidence in their impressive recent performances at McDiarmid Park, having won each of their last three visits to St Johnstone’s home ground, and remaining unbeaten in their last five away encounters with the Saints.

Team News

St Johnstone will continue to be without Sam Stanton and Zach Mitchell due to ongoing injury concerns, while Tom Steward is serving a suspension following his red card in the 13th minute against Kilmarnock in matchday 12.

Steward’s position is likely to be filled by Ross Sinclair, while the back three of Cheick Diabate, Bozo Mikulic, and Enes Alic is expected to remain unchanged.

On the other hand, Dundee’s squad will miss Bobby País de Gales, Finlay Robertson, and Simon Murray due to injury issues, but the rest of the team is expected to be fit and well-rested after their matchday 12 fixture was postponed.

Hay, having scored twice to secure last week’s victory for Dundee, is likely to retain his place alongside Bradley Fink, with Joe Bevan and Alan Forrest providing support from the flanks.

St Johnstone probable starting XI:

Sinclair; Diabate, Mikulic, Alic; Todd, McAlear, Holt, Cotterill; Fowler, Steven; Schmidt

Dundee probable starting XI:

Goodman; D Wright, J Wright, Astley, Samuels; Bevan, Jones, Hamilton, Forrest; Hay, Fink

St Johnstone has struggled with a poor record against Dundee in recent meetings, particularly at home, and approaches this match following their longest winless streak in the Scottish Premiership this season.

Considering Dundee has an additional three days of rest following their matchday 12 game being postponed, it’s predicted that the away team may claim all three points.