Mark McGhee is hopeful that this can prove a pivotal weekend in Dundee’s fight to avoid relegation.

The Dark Blues are six points adrift of St Johnstone at the bottom of the table ahead of their trip to Tannadice to face city rivals Dundee United on Saturday.

With Saints travelling to on-form league leaders Celtic at the same time, McGhee senses a chance for his team to try to eat into the deficit and revive their ailing survival hopes.

“It’s an opportunity and the opportunity presents itself because of who St Johnstone are playing,” said McGhee.

“St Johnstone go away to Celtic and that’s a very difficult game for them. I’m not writing them off, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if St Johnstone go there and get something. But we’re hoping that they don’t because we need that.

“Three points (against United) would get us within touching distance of St Johnstone if they don’t win at Celtic Park, and it would also help from the point of view of the optimism it would engender going into the last five games.

“If we can beat Dundee United away, it would give us the belief that we can do anything after the split.”

McGhee acknowledges it is a tall order for Dundee to stay up but he remains adamant they still have a chance.

“I’m not sure confident is the right word but I’m certainly optimistic that we can,” he said. “The odds are against us but I think we believe we have it within us to win enough games to do that.

“We have to at some point start to win games and Saturday would be the ideal time to do that, but we have six games left to get those points – including against St Johnstone – so until it’s done, it won’t be done.”

Dundee have not won at Tannadice since 2004 but McGhee insists that is irrelevant in the context of this weekend’s match.

“That’s a statistic rather than a record,” he said. “We’ve not always been in the same division so you can juggle that any way you like. The fact we haven’t won down there for that length of time really has no bearing on this game.

“It will be a great occasion. It’s a pity we weren’t both fighting for a place in Europe, that would be nice for us. It’s an important game for us and for them. It’s got the makings of an exciting afternoon.”