Source: Team_Talk
United boss reluctant to rotate
Peter Houston will resist the temptation to rest players ahead of the Scottish Cup final after his team secured European football.[LNB] Dundee United guaranteed a top-four finish with a 3-2 victory over Motherwell on Sunday and are 12 points ahead of nearest challengers Hibernian with four games remaining.[LNB]Houston made six changes following the midweek draw against Rangers but had what was arguably his full-strength team out minus injured defenders Garry Kenneth and Paul Dixon.[LNB]The victory stretched United's unbeaten run to 11 matches and Houston wants to maintain that momentum ahead of the May 15 clash against Ross County at Hampden.[LNB]Houston said: "It makes it a wee bit more difficult now because people are saying, now that it's almost third guaranteed, you can rest legs here and give other people a game.[LNB]"But when people are hot and playing really well and you leave them out for a couple of weeks, then sometimes they lose that wee bit of sharpness and form. So there's a balance to be made there.[LNB]"Anybody with knocks I probably won't play. Garry Kenneth was injured at the weekend, I had to stick him on the bench because we didn't have any defensive cover. I'm glad I didn't need to put him on.[LNB]"The squad will not change - the team along with (Danny) Cadamarteri, (Fran) Sandaza and Jennison Myrie-Williams will be the squad that will flicker between games."[LNB]Motherwell manager Craig Brown does not have the luxury of picking and choosing his players after his injury problems intensified when skipper Stephen Craigan limped off in the first half against United.[LNB]Brown was already without Keith Lasley as the midfielder struggles to overcome a leg knock while Lukas Jutkiewicz was restricted to a late run-out as he battles his ongoing knee problem.[LNB]Michael McGlinchey has been suffering from an ankle problem while goalkeeper John Ruddy looks likely to remain on the sidelines for Saturday's trip to face Hearts with a thigh problem.[LNB]Brown said: "The injuries are not helping us in the last four games because it's been a long, hard season.[LNB]"At the end of a season injuries take longer to heal because you have a lot of wear and tear, particularly if it's a muscle strain.[LNB]"So we will need to have a look at the injuries to see how severe they are."
