James McPake expects Kane Hemmings to return for Dundee against Ayr United this weekend.
The Dark Blues’ top scorer missed last night’s frustrating draw with Alloa after failing to shake off a persistent illness.
Despite creating multiple chances, the Dee drew a blank in his absence.
But their manager expects to have him back in time to face the Honest Men.
“Kano will come back for Saturday,” said McPake.
“Kano was ill last night. He was ill at Queen of the South and, maybe stupidly, I played him when he wasn’t right.
“But he’s now almost recovered and we’ll have him back for Saturday.”
Dundee may have drawn a blank against the Wasps, but McPake was as delighted with his side’s performance as he was annoyed by the result.
The Dark Blues fired 20 shots at the Alloa goal to no avail.
Yet McPake took heart from the creative nature of his side’s showing ahead of a potentially pivotal double-header with play-off rivals Ayr.
“We’ll take the positives for Saturday, we’re going down to Ayr then they’re coming here,” said McPake.
“It’s two massive games for our football club and, if we perform like that, then we’ll give ourselves a right good chance.
“At the minute, it’s sore but, though it was only one point, it’s another clean sheet. That’s one positive.
“Another is, you could pick probably four or five games from earlier in the season and add our chances up – and we created more chances last night.
“And the fans – for me that’s a positive because people keep saying they get on the players’ backs.
“That’s rightly so because we haven’t been creating chances and giving them something to cheer, but you certainly heard them last night.
“They were egging us on and really pushing.
“I turned round during the game and said, ‘The atmosphere’s back’, and we need that.
“It’s not a cry for help, but we need to keep producing performances like that to keep the atmosphere up, to keep the fans onside.
“To keep them helping us we need performances like last night – with the goals added.”
