Goodwin on Strain blow, transfers & Babunski ‘oozing quality’

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin has been speaking to the media before this weekend’s League Cup group match with Ayr United at Tannadice.

Here are the key lines:

• Ryan Strain will have scan later on Thursday to determine the extent of a hamstring injury.

• Goodwin says it is too early to put a timescale on how long the right-back may be out for but described it as “a bitter blow”.

• The United boss adds that new recruit David Babunski “oozes quality” and revealed he tried to sign him when he was in charge at Aberdeen.

• After admitting “we didn’t give a good viewing of ourselves” in their opening League Cup group defeat at Falkirk, Goodwin said their midweek win over Stenhousemuir “was a lot more like what we are looking for”.

• Kristijan Trapanovski, another new signing, scored and got two assists in that victory over Stenhousemuir, and Goodwin said his performance “should be one that excites the fans”.

• When asked if he is looking to bring any more new faces in, Goodwin added: “We would expect some new players to come into the squad probably in the middle to the end of next week”.

• He went on to praise the “terrific job” ex-Celtic captain Scott Brown has done since he took charge at Ayr.