And United performances in this fixture has the Northern Ireland international believing a home win could be on the cards this weekend.

“It’s a fresh game and anything can happen, but, when you have played as well as we have in the games against Celtic, you have to take some confidence from that and think you have a chance,” he said.

“That’s definitely the way we feel. We have not won enough of our recent games, but we have not been playing badly and the manager has been telling us that, if we tighten things up at the back, we’ll start winning.

“If we can do that against Celtic and get a result, it would set us up nicely for the closing games of the season.

“First thing we have to do, is make sure we are in the top six and, once we do that, we can start thinking about catching Hearts and Aberdeen.

“They’ve both moved above us over the last few weeks, but we’ll have to meet them again and, if we are playing well, we can get back above them.”

If this is a big game for United, Feeney is also guessing Celtic are viewing their Tayside trip as potentially one of the most crucial of the closing couple of months of the season.

“This year, we have shown we can take points off the Old Firm and run them close, so Celtic will feel that, if they can come up here and take three points, they will have taken an important step towards the title.

“They will be on a high after beating Rangers in the cup final last weekend and we know they will be up for this one as well, but they’ll know this is a potential banana skin.”

With Jon Daly struggling because of a hamstring problem, Feeney looks likely to be partnered by Spaniard Francisco Sandaza up front.

While Daly may not make it, Prince Buaben’s condition has been improving and he looks set to make the squad.

Tickets for both sets of fans will be on sale from the club shop between 9 am-5 pm tomorrow and from 10 am on Sunday — the game kicks off at 2 pm.

However, with the Scottish Football League refusing to postpone the Dark Blues’ clashes with Ross County and Dunfermline because players were due to be away on international duty, the French-born attacker has decided to stay put.

He has informed Guadeloupe he will not be travelling, despite having already been warned failure to turn up could cost him his Gold Cup place.

“We appreciate what Mickael has done and the commitment he is showing to his team-mates and the club,” said Dens boss Jocky Scott.

“I’ll be writing to his international manager stressing that we need him and saying we hope this does not effect his international chances, because it certainly shouldn’t.”

Meanwhile, Jocky has blasted the SFL for sitting on their hands over the issue. Although Curier will now be available, Andrew Shinnie and Giorgi Efrem are on international duty.

Dundee have been told the games must go ahead — not by the SFL, but by the opposition, and that has particularly riled Jocky.

“If the league told us we had to play I would not have been happy, but at least they would have done their job and made a decision,” said Jocky.

“Instead, they said, if the clubs agreed, we could get the games off, but the clubs have said ‘no’, so we are playing.

“I’m not happy with them, but they are looking out for themselves and why should they have to be put in that position?

“It’s the authorities’ job to decide these things and they have done nothing — it makes you wonder what they are there for.”

Of the two opposing camps, there is particular bad feeling at Dens over Ross County’s conduct, given that Dundee had agreed to a March 28 date partly to help them.

“When the game went off last month, I agreed to next week’s date because it was a Saturday and it would make the travelling easier for us and our fans, who I’ve been asking to turn out in big numbers.

“It also, though, helped Ross County in terms of selling hospitality and, recognising they might lose out if it was moved to midweek, our chairman has said he would make up any shortfall himself.

“That forced them to admit they want to play us because they think we’ll have a weakened team, because Efrem and Shinnie will be missing — but my team will be disrupted, it won’t be weakened.”

Malone travels to Glasgow on Sunday to face Partick Thistle knowing both teams have a very good chance of still catching division leaders St Johnstone before the end of the campaign. Between now and May, though, he is convinced everyone will drop points.

“After we lost to Queen of the South last week, some people said our chance was gone, but then we won on Saturday and St Johnstone lost and we are right back in it,” said Malone. “It’s like that because the First Division is so tight — Dunfermline were right up there a few weeks ago and then, after a couple of bad results, are down in the bottom half of the table.

“Everyone has been taking points off everyone else and, if we could go on a run and take maximum points until the end of the season, I would say we would definitely win the league. The way this league is, though, you can’t guarantee doing that, so you just concentrate on the next game and look no further forward.”

And Malone knows Dundee’s next game is a tough one. While, for many, Partick have been ranked the outsiders in the promotion race, he does not see things that way. Like Dundee, he believes they have both the players and the management to go all the way.

“They have good quality players, that’s why they are in second and it is going to be a hard game for us on Sunday.”

Jim Lauchlan looks to have won his battle with knee trouble, while both fellow-defender Craig McKeown and midfielder Colin Cameron may still recover in time to be involved.

Thanks to buses being paid for by the club, the Dark Blues look set to have more than 1000 fans backing them at Firhill and, if that helps bring back three points, the board will consider it money well spent.

Airdrie have the worst away record in the First Division and have scored only seven times away from their own patch.

One of those goals was in a 3-1 loss against Saints at McDiarmid Park earlier this season.

Steven Milne was on the mark twice for Saints that day after Gavin Swankie opened the scoring early on — and a repeat of that score will set First Division leading Saints up nicely for their next two games, also at home, against second-placed Partick Thistle and Dunfermline.

After that, it’s Dunfermline away, QOS at home, Dundee away and Morton at McDiarmid Park before Saints finish the season by visiting tomorrow’s visitors.

Saints are boosted by Collin Samuel being back in full training following a leg knock and he’s in the frame to start tomorrow.

Martin Hardie looks unlikely to make the starting team though as he isn’t yet back in full training.

With four of Saints’ next five games at home, the chance is there for the Perth team to stretch their single point lead at the top of the First Division standings.

“We’re thinking no further ahead than the Airdrie United game, though,” said Derek.

“And even though they are second bottom, they have done well lately and will come here confident.

“Our last two home results have been draws and we really need to get back to winning ways.

“We are in the best position we have been for many a year and it’s important tomorrow to concentrate and keep our focus.

“We have a job to do tomorrow and that is to go out and win — and we must ensure we do just that.”