He was expected to be fit for the start of this term, but has been feeling the injury in the last couple of weeks and that led to a return to see a specialist last night.

It’s a visit that brought the worst possible news. He has been told to rest and it will now be the end of October, possibly longer, before the stylish centre-half is ready to resume playing.

“From my point of view, it is the worst possible news and at the end of the three months we will just have to see how he is. I feel for Lee and he is understandably very disappointed,” said manager Gordon Chisholm today.

The big concern is that Mair’s knee is still not right after this latest period of rest and he requires surgery. That would see what was initially expected to be a four-month absence stretched to a year or more.

United, though, will continue to be guided by medical advice and that means another long and frustrating period on the sidelines for a player who has hardly been seen in Tangerine.

Meanwhile, it now looks like ex-Kilmarnock goalkeeper Craig Samson will be handed the chance to challenge Derek Stillie for the top-team place.

Samson was on trial earlier this month, but left last week to purse other options while United had a look at ex-Arsenal man Rami Shaaban.

While the Swede was playing in the City of Discovery Cup last weekend, Gordon had Samson watched when he turned out for Airdrie against Alloa and although young Newcastle man Adam Bartlett has also been training at Tannadice, it’s the Scot who will get the nod.

He travelled back to Dundee today for training and is set to sign a contract before tomorrow’s deadline for the UEFA Cup, the draw for which takes place in Switzerland in the afternoon.

On Saturday, United’s first-ever official DVD will be on sale in the club shop. Priced at £12.99, “European Glory Goals” includes over 60 goals from 22 games at Tannadice and abroad. Club legend Hamish McAlpine introduces the action, which starts with rare never- seen-before footage from 1975.

Tickets for the game against Celtic at Parkhead on Saturday week are now on sale to season ticket holders and go on general sale from Saturday.

They can be obtained from the ticket office in Tannadice Street or by calling (01382) 833166 (option 1) with credit/debit card to hand.

However, up until today, around 1500 tickets have been sold and while that means the target figure of around 3000 is unlikely to be hit, past experience suggests to the Dark Blues that sales will be only a few hundred short of the mark.

“It is difficult to make a true comparison because we were four weeks late in starting sales, but if you take the first four weeks last year and the first four this year, we are actually ahead,” said Thomson.

“And what is encouraging for us is that, in the last week or so, business has been very steady at the club shop.

“With tomorrow being the last day for fans to reserve the seats they had last season, a pay day coming up this weekend and the first game for which tickets are eligible being a week away, we would expect that to continue.”

Following relegation from the SPL, which has now been confirmed, income from the tickets was seen as vital to ensuring the Dark Blues survival.

An understanding attitude from bankers HBOS is believed to have eased the pressure to hit the 3000 mark, but the closer Dundee get to that figure, the more room for manoeuvre they will have.

Fans who have already paid for their tickets can collect them from the club shop at Dens, while those who asked for their briefs to be posted out should receive them by early next week.

Stanic is likely to be played on the left side of defence.

With Kevin Fotheringham and Kieran McAnespie out injured for several weeks, Saints were short of fit left-sided players, so the signing of Stanic increases their options on that side of the pitch.

Meanwhile, the club are still waiting to hear if former Walsall keeper Mark Paston is going to join them.