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Zaluska closing on United debut

Wed 16 Jan, 09:00 AM


Dundee United boss Craig Levein has revealed goalkeeper Lukasz Zaluska could make his long-awaited debut against Kilmarnock later this month.The Pole has been unable to play since arriving in the summer after suffering two serious foot injuries and was replaced by compatriot Grzegorz Szamotulski.

Zaluska has waited six months to get his chance of a first-team match and Levein believes the Rugby Park clash on January 26 is a realistic target.

With Szamotulski in Poland receiving treatment for a knee strain, youngster Euan McLean will don the gloves for the rearranged Scottish Cup clash at Clyde on Wednesday.

And Levein is hopeful his bid to get the experienced Zaluska in shape will go without any hitches.

He said: "I need to get a game for Lukasz before the end of the month and I have pencilled in the Kilmarnock game for him to play.

"He's been getting better and better all the time in training, it's just matches he needs now to sharpen up.

"We actually arranged a closed-doors game for Tuesday and he was going to play in that but because of the call-off we had to cancel it.

"There are reserve matches coming up soon so hopefully he'll be able to get some action."

The game was put back 24 hours after Sky Sports agreed to screen the fourth-round tie live.

That means the clubs will share a £165,000 windfall and for Levein it will give his players ample time to rest ahead of their important SPL meeting with Aberdeen on Saturday.

Despite the late change of date United have prepared in their normal routine.

Levein revealed: "Having the game changed on Monday has not affected our preparations at all because we actually found out before we went out to train so we were able to tailor what we did.

"We went over the usual stuff we do in the days before a game so the players are ready to go."

The postponement of the game due to a frozen pitch on Saturday inconvenienced United fans who had already set off for Cumbernauld.

But it has allowed loan players Jordan Robertson and Willo Flood to join the squad after they recovered from illness.

And the United fans will benefit from Clyde's decision to reduce prices to £12 for adults and £5 for children, with a £14 parent and child gate.

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