While publicly the Dark Blues board had said it could be next week before they were in a position to appoint a new boss, since making contact with Scott last weekend, he was the first choice.

Talks were concluded last night and, although a contract has still to be agreed, his eagerness to get started means that has been put on the back burner until after Saturday.

His arrival will signal the departure of caretaker boss Davie Farrell and pave the way for a new No. 2 to be in place, probably by early next week.

No firm decision has been made yet about that post, but the Tele understands it will come down to a straight choice between former skipper Barry Smith and ex-coach Ray Farningham.

Smith was Scott’s captain during his last spell as manager, between 1998 and 2000, while that period saw Farningham in charge of the youth squad.

He knows both very well, rates them highly and faces a difficult decision. What already appears clear is, whichever one he goes for, they will be groomed to take over the No. 1 role at some future point.

That is a matter for later, though, and Scott comes back focusing on one thing and one thing alone — getting his club back to where he believes it should be.

One of his main selling points when interviewed was that, unlike the other candidates, he knew exactly what the expectation that comes with being Dundee manager is.

He knows that so long as the team are in the First Division, the only time words like success and progress can be used is when promotion has been won.

With the team sitting second bottom right now, whether or not that can be a realistic goal this term remains to be seen, but his plan is to be challenging as soon as possible.

While the job is his first full-time at a club since he left Plymouth Argyle around three years ago, there is no denying his impressive pedigree.

He first spell as Dundee boss over 20 years ago saw the team just miss out on UEFA Cup qualification and reach a Scottish Cup semi-final. After moving on to Aberdeen as co-manager with Alex Smith, he won Scottish and League Cups and was a beaten finalist in the League Cup when he moved to Dunfermline. Back at Dens in 1998, he secured two top-half-of-the-table finishes in the SPL, despite a shoestring budget.

He was controversially removed from the job in 2000 when Italian Ivano Bonetti took over and, since then, has always felt he still had a job to finish at the club he has been connected with since signing as a 16-year-old back in 1964.

That was because of a groin strain he suffered during a routine training session on Monday and, today, boss Craig Levein confirmed his target man was still struggling.

“Jon has no chance for Saturday and I am not expecting him back for Rangers on Tuesday either. I don’t think he’ll miss any more than those two, but it is a bit of a blow.”

That said, overall, Craig is relieved he will have most of his players fit going into a spell of five games in a fortnight.

“Willo Flood and Sean Dillon took thigh knocks against Dunfermline, while Roy O’Donovan got a smack in the face and studs in his thigh, but they will all be OK for Saturday.

“Yesterday, Garry Kenneth got 90 minutes in the reserves without his knee bothering him and Mihael Kovacevic played with his new face mask. Lee Wilkie also came through on Tuesday without any reaction to his calf strain, so, apart from Jon, we should have pretty much everyone available.”

Adding to the choices are Danny Grainger, Prince Buaben and Danny Swanson, who all got 90 minutes of the second string draw at Rangers.

The Perth club, who are second top, may be backed by up to 2000 supporters for the game against a Pars side one place behind them.

Long-term injured keeper Euan McLean is still out, while striker Andy Jackson is a doubt due to his ankle knock.