Dundee United are likely to face an injury and suspension-plagued St Johnstone in Saturday’s Tayside derby at McDiarmid Park.
Saints defender Steven Anderson has been ruled out for at least four weeks as a result of a training-ground injury, while midfielders Danny Swanson and Murray Davidson are also serious doubts for the weekend.
Midfielder Liam Craig is banned.
Manager Tommy Wright said: “Steven slipped in training and has injured his hamstring so he’s out for a minimum of four weeks.
“It was a freak one. He ended up doing the splits and caught the top of his hamstring.
“Danny Swanson is also still feeling the hamstring problem that caused him to come off against Hearts. And Murray Davidson is a major doubt because of an ankle injury he picked up in training.
“So we could be without those three and Liam Craig is suspended as well. We have a few problems ahead of the Dundee United game but that’s what we have a squad for. We’ve coped before and we’ll cope again. We have Tam Scobbie and Plamen Krachunov, who can come in to the team, and other options elsewhere as well.”
Of the teams still competing for a top-six place, Saints are the strongest favourites to finish on the high side after victory against Hearts.
But Wright believes a point or three against the Arabs, or Kilmarnock the following weekend, may still be required.
“We still need a result against Dundee United to make sure of the top six,” he said.
“We might have enough already but we don’t want to be waiting on other results. Our mindset is we have to go out and earn the right because it’s not done for us yet.
“Three points will definitely do it but one should probably be all right with our goal difference.”
Wright has told the three young players who signed new deals last week – Craig Thomson, Mark Hurst and Ally Gilchrist – not to rest on their laurels.
“We’re glad to get the three players signed up,” he said. “They still have a bit to do to, but they know that.
“Two of them are out on loan. Ally Gilchrist has done really well on loan at Peterhead and Mark Hurst has been making good progress too at Elgin.
“But they can’t relax now they have their contract. They have to keep working to get better.
“They can’t rest on their laurels because they have longer contracts. They have to kick on from here now.”