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Page last updated at 15:46 GMT, Tuesday, 20 April 2010 16:46 UK

Dundee's injury worries mount in goal and up front

Dundee striker Leigh Griffiths
Top-scorer Griffiths will not feature in Dundee's remaining fixtures

By David McDaid

Dundee's Leigh Griffiths' season is over after the striker twisted his ankle in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Morton.

The Dark Blues also face a possible goalkeeping crisis ahead of Wednesday's trip to Raith Rovers, with 49-year-old coach Rab Geddes in line to start.

"We've lost Leigh and he's been our main goal threat this season," said manager Gordon Chisholm.

"Both keepers are struggling. Tony Bullock's 50/50. We'll have to wait to see if one of them will be available."

First-choice goalkeeper Rab Douglas is already sidelined, while deputy Bullock is struggling with an ankle injury.

Next-in-line Derek Soutar was absent from training on Tuesday through illness and that leaves Geddes as the only other available goalkeeper at the club.

Striker Griffiths has been shortlisted for the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award and is the Dark Blues' top scorer this term with 19 goals.

We'll be looking for goals from different areas of the team and that's something we've tried to encourage

Dundee manager Gordon Chisholm

The 19-year-old received his injury with around five minutes remaining of Saturday's match.

After a brief spell of treatment at the side of the pitch, the Scotland Under-21 player managed to return to net a fantastic free-kick and earn his side a point.

However, the former Livingston man was clearly in pain for the rest of the game, and Chisholm says the loss is a blow as they look for a positive reaction after the weekend.

"One thing we'd like to do tomorrow against Raith is go out and score a few, but with Leigh missing - he and Gary Harkins have been the source of most of our goals this season," said Chisholm.

"So we'll be looking for goals from different areas of the team and that's something we've tried to encourage since we came here.

"But I'm going to change one or two things tomorrow night. I'd love to stay with a settled team but we just haven't got that level of consistency.

"So I've got to freshen things up and it's coming to the time of season where I have to start looking at one or two other players.

"But I'm certainly looking for an impact or some sort of reaction from Saturday."

Dundee are still able mathematically to win promotion to the Scottish Premier League.

But they are now nine points adrift of Inverness with three games to play.

They would need to win those games and turn around a large goal difference, as well as hope that Inverness lose both their remaining fixtures.



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see also
Boss Chisholm warns Dundee squad
17 Apr 10 |  Dundee
Morton 2-2 Dundee
17 Apr 10 |  Scottish League


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