Trevor Carson says Dundee face 10 ‘massive’ games ahead of Premiership split

Trevor Carson is braced for a “massive” ten-game stretch before the split as Dundee bid to move away from the relegation zone and return to the top six of the Premiership.

The eighth-placed Dark Blues are locked together on the 27-point mark with Hearts, whom they host on Saturday.

Despite being just two points clear of the relegation play-off spot, both clubs have the incentive of knowing they are within three points of the top six and 10 points of third.

“It’s a massive game,” said goalkeeper Carson. “I think our next 10 games are before the split, every single one of them is going to be huge.

“I can guarantee you in 10 games’ time we’ll look back and it’ll be the odd goal in every game. Every game is going to be tight.

“It’s just about what happens on the day so we know we’re going to have to be bang at it.

“I think at the start of the season, if someone had said after 23 games you’d have been on the same points as Hearts, we probably would have took that.

“But then you look at the table now, you’d be expecting to be third or fourth in the league. But the way the league is, it’s so congested. We’re looking forward to the game and we definitely see it as an opportunity to go and get three points.

“We’re really confident and looking forward to the next stretch of games.”

Carson has started the last eight games for Dundee after having to be patient as he played second fiddle to Jon McCracken earlier in the campaign.

“When you’re at a professional club at the level we’re at, there’s going to be competition for places,” he said, reflecting on his battle with McCracken.

“You just have to look at our training, there’s two players in every position now back fit, vying for the shirt. It’s part and parcel of being a professional footballer.

“When you’re at Dundee, no-one should be guaranteed their place. It’s certainly the case for me. I know I have to keep building my game.”