Just last week, though, his gaffer revealed a speedy recovery had put him on course for a place at Kilmarnock on Saturday week.

By yesterday morning, continued lightning progress even had thoughts of a place this weekend entering Craig’s head. Today, though, he stepped back from that.

“If you had asked me that question before training yesterday I would have said he was 75% certain to be involved against Rangers, but now it is more like 25%,” he said.

“He is still coming on very well, but he pulled up yesterday because he felt his knee a bit and that tells me we should probably leave him another week.

“I’m confident he will be ready for Kilmarnock, but, if I play him before he is ready, we might end with him out for a long period again and we don’t want that.”

Just like knee-injury victim Maros Klimpl over the road at Dundee, Craig knows that if he asks Dixon to play on Sunday he will, and will, therefore, make the decision on his fitness himself.

Craig is hopeful of getting Jennison Myrie-Williams fit in time to be involved. He showed up well against Aberdeen last Saturday, but missed the Co-Op Cup defeat at St Johnstone because of a knock on the knee he took at Pittodrie.

Goalie Nicky Weaver also remains a doubt after missing the Perth trip with a thigh strain. The manager is checking up on another couple of knocks that were picked up at McDiarmid Park, but there is nothing that’s causing too much concern.