Dundee United have brought in an Ajax central defender on a week’s trial.
Timothy van der Muelen trained yesterday with the first-team squad but manager Peter Houston stressed it is too early to make a judgment on his ability.
Prince Buaben, himself a product of the Dutch giants’ world-famous youth academy, has been in touch with contacts in Amsterdam and revealed the 20-year-old has an excellent reputation.
The Tannadice midfielder said, “I left just before he joined Ajax but I have spoken to a few of the people I know back there and they say he is a very good player.
“Ajax is a great place to learn about football and it sets you up for whatever your career throws at you.
“He has looked good in training but it will be up to the manager what happens.”RecommendedHouston said, “He has come recommended to us and Ajax are willing to let him go if he can find a club.
“He has looked okay in training but he’s here for another week so I’ll make a decision on him then when I’ve seen a bit more.
“He’s a young lad and is a ball-playing central defender.
“We took Prince Buaben from that environment and he has done really well for us,” he added.
“So we’ll keep having a look at him and if he impresses and is being released from Ajax we’ll see what we can do.”
Meanwhile, Houston’s injury-ravaged squad will be bolstered by the return of suspended duo Jon Daly and Scott Robertson for Sunday’s visit of Hibs.
“Danny Swanson could also be available.
Paul Dixon is nearing a comeback but the Hibs match will come too soon for him.
The United boss is wary it will be this weekend the beleaguered Edinburgh club spring back to life.
“Hibs are trying to bring in players and may do that before Sunday so we don’t know for sure what team we’ll face,” he said.
“When a team is on a run like Hibs are it just takes one spark to turn it around and we have to make sure we don’t give them it.
“They showed when they beat Rangers what they are capable of and what attacking options they have.
“The first goal is very important and we have found at our cost that we’ve had to chase games.
“It would be nice to get back to scoring the first goal. I’d like us to do is start matches like we have been finishing them.
“If we can do that then we’ll start turning draws into wins.Home form”We are back at Tannadice again and we want to improve our home form.”
Houston added, “It has been a stop-start season with injuries and the call-offs but we’ve got a run of games and the aim is to get up the table.
“I’d be worried if the boys were not working hard but that’s not the case.
“We had five under-21s the other night and I was pleased with all of them.
“In ideal circumstances, if we didn’t have the injuries, I would nurture them in slowly.
“The likes of Johnny Russell and Keith Watson would maybe have been rested to give them a break but that hasn’t been an option and they’ve stepped up to the mark really well.” Buaben is confident that the United players will start to reap bigger rewards than just solitary points for the determination that has become their trademark.
He commented, “There’s no doubt we have had too many draws so we want to turn them into wins.
“It is a great achievement to be scoring so late in games but we wish it was to win them rather than get draws.
“We have lost the first goal too often but I think the fact we have been able to bounce back says everything about the spirit.
“The lads are all battling together and the atmosphere in the dressing-room is very good.
“The home form has not been as good as we would like it to be but we’re determined to turn it around.
“Sometimes you have to be patient and we will be putting everything we can into beating Hibs
“Hibs are not in the best form at the moment but we are not reading into that.
“They have a lot of good players, so we won’t be thinking it’s going to be easy.”
Martin Scott and Matt Thornhill could make their Hibs debuts after missing out in midweek due to suspension and injury respectively.
Hibs are also poised to complete a loan deal for Liverpool’s Victor Palsson, but boss Colin Calderwood has confirmed Merouane Zemmama could be bound for Middlesbrough after holding talks with manager Tony Mowbray.
Palsson, a 19-year-old midfielder from Iceland, has undergone a medical at Easter Road and Hibs are awaiting the completion of the required paperwork.