Jim Goodwin does not expect his former club St Mirren to suffer from “fatigue” when they visit Dundee United in the Scottish League Cup on Sunday.
Stephen Robinson’s Buddies lost 3-1 away to Brann on Thursday, while the Norwegian side triumphed 4-2 in the Conference League third qualifying round.
United have had eight days to prepare, with their final Premiership game away to Ross County on August 10.
“Stephen Robinson has done a fantastic job at St Mirren over the last two seasons, getting the team into the top six and taking them to Europe,” said Dundee United manager Goodwin.
“They can be very proud of their performance. They played against a very good Brann team. I don’t think fatigue will play a role because St Mirren have a pretty strong squad with a lot of depth.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there were four or five changes compared to the team against Brann. They can bring in players of very good quality.
“I’m sure Stephen will be disappointed with the last few results and will be looking to make amends. But it’s a game we have to approach positively.”
Goodwin believes the League Cup “can be significant for the course of the season”.
“I would be lying if I said that this competition is a priority for us because the league is a livelihood for all of us and our main goal is to stay in the league,” he explained.
“But at the same time, if we win on Sunday, we’re suddenly in the quarter-finals of this competition and if the draw goes your way, you might get a day off at Hampden (in the semi-finals) – and that’s what everyone wants.”
