Ever protective of his young talent, and always keen to give little away in advance about his selections, however, today Craig stopped short of confirming David’s place.

“He’s given me a lot to think about, not just after his U/19 performances but because of the quality of his work with us in the last few weeks,” he said.

“He’s pushing very hard, but before I decide if he gets one, I will look at the whole package. He played very well for Scotland and we all know what a talent he is, but against that we are coming up against a team who are top of the league and playing with a lot of confidence.

“On Saturday, he would be up against international defenders and, however good the football was in the U/19s, that’s a big step up. David will be stripped, though, and has a very good chance of being involved.”

Not so clear after his longer than anticipated stint on international duty in the Caribbean is the possibility of Collin Samuel being involved.

He scored for Trinidad in a 2-1 friendly win over Panama last night and today was embarking on his long journey home – United would like to see him in training tomorrow, but it may be late in the day before he is back in Dundee.

“I want a look at him to see how he is, so we want him here in the morning, but it’s a situation I’ll have to deal with once he is actually back. It’s obviously not ideal,” added Craig.

Tickets for the Celtic game will be on sale from the club shop at Tannadice until 5 pm tomorrow and, because of the 12.30 pm kick-off, for just 30 minutes on Saturday morning.

There are a few dozen away end briefs left and Hoops fans note that, at the request of Celtic, all purchasers must provide proof of their identity and home address.