Dundee United boss Tam Courts insists he will enjoy the goalkeeping decision he has to make ahead of the Tayside derby against Dundee at Tannadice on Sunday.

Number one Benjamin Siegrist has recovered from a knee injury sustained in the build-up to United’s game with St Johnstone last month.

Replacement Trevor Carson,  the Northern Ireland international signed from Motherwell in July, has been in fine form in the three games he has played for United but Courts is not shying away from a decision he believes demonstrates the quality he has in his squad.

He said: “I really enjoy those types of decisions.

“When you are involved in recruitment and you want to have healthy competition, naturally you are going to disappoint players at times, you are going to give players opportunities that they are going to take fantastically well and I think Trevor Carson has done that in the last few weeks.

“He hasn’t over-performed because we knew what we were getting when we signed him.

“I don’t actually feel it is a hugely difficult decision, it is only challenging because of the respect I have for them as professionals and as men.

“But I will always do what is right for the team and the occasion and what gives us the best chance of getting the three points on the day.”

Dundee United will unveil a statue of their late former manager Jim McLean outside Tannadice on Saturday.

McLean, who died in December last year aged 83, took the Tayside club to the top flight title in 1983, won two League Cups and guided United to the UEFA Cup final in 1987.

Courts admits he is “inspired” to be following in the footsteps of a Tannadice great.

He said: “Jim McLean put the club on the map in Europe and globally.

“This is a big club in its own right but there is no doubt that the platform, him, his staff and players put the club on during his tenure created an expectation for me to follow .

“I feel inspired and privileged to follow in his footsteps but it is not a burden, it just feels like a really nice weight of expectation because the club has shown historically what it is capable of.”