Tayside and Central

Andrew Petrie, BBC Sport Scotland

Dundee were opportunistic - but that's what you need to do against a side with more quality across the park. They absorbed the pressure and picked Hearts off with a single blow.

As for Luke McCowan, Scott Tiffoney and Lyall Cameron. Those three have more than enough to get Dundee out of any trouble that may befall them this season.

Today was more about McCowan and Tiffoney. Their flair can turn matches on their head, and it was McCowan's magic that won Dundee all three points this afternoon.

Dundee had a week off after their early League Cup exit, but they change three from the narrow 2-1 loss to St Mirren a fortnight ago.

Lee Ashcroft, Josh Mulligan and the impressive Innes Cameron drop to the bench. Cammy Kerr, Finlay Robertson and Scott Tiffoney all make their first league starts of the season - with the latter impressing from the bench in that Paisley defeat.

Ricki Lamie and Mo Sylla could make their Dundee debuts from the bench.

Dundee: Carson, Kerr, Shaughnessy, McGhee, Beck, Boateng, Robertson, Tiffoney, McCowan, Bakayoko, Robinson.

Substitutes: Legzdins, Cameron, Lamie, Ashcroft, Mulligan, Reilly, Rudden, Anderson, Sylla.

Hearts: Clark, Offiah, Kent, Rowles, Kingsley, Sibbick, Denholm, Oda, Lowry, Vargas, Shankland.

Substitutes: McGovern, Grant, Boyce, Atkinson, Devlin, Halliday, Forrest, Tait, Tagawa.

Ricki Lamie has followed Mo Sylla in joining Dundee.

Defender Lamie, 30, arrives on a year-long loan from Motherwell, having come close to joining the Dens Park club in 2022.

Lamie signed a pre-contract with Dundee but there was a relegation clause in the deal, meaning he did not join after the Dark Blues were demoted.

Midfielder Sylla, 29, signed from Hartlepool United for an undisclosed fee on Friday.

And manager Tony Docherty told Dundee's website: “Mo will bring experience to the squad, he’s played over 250 games in France and England. He’s got a real physical presence and experience, which we’ve maybe lacked so far in the midfield area.

“There was a lot of competition for him here in Scotland and in England, so we are delighted we have been able to secure his signature."

And Docherty said of Lamie: "He is at a great age, he feels in his physical prime and wants to get his career back on track and was desperate to come and join us.

"He knows the Premiership inside out, which will help us greatly in that left-sided position in defence. He is a real competitor, has a good left foot, is a good user of the ball, is very confident in both boxes and has experience in abundance.”

Image source, SNS

Charlie Reilly comes into the Dundee squad after an injury-hit pre-season. Antonio Portales (knee) and Aaron Donnelly (ankle) remain out while Tyler French is back training.

Hearts are set to be without Barrie McKay after he sustained a knee injury against PAOK on Thursday.

Beni Baningime is back in contention after sitting out the last four games but Peter Haring (ankle), Craig Halkett (knee) and Craig Gordon (leg) are out.

Image source, SNS

Captain Joe Shaughnessy says Dundee’s new-look squad will take time to gel, but insists they are ready to secure an overdue first Premiership win this weekend.

Tony Docherty’s newly-promoted side exited the Viaplay Cup at the group stage and are back from a free weekend to host Hearts after opening their league campaign with a draw at home to Motherwell and 2-1 defeat at St Mirren.

"I think we should have maybe got more out of our first two games but we will be looking to put that right this weekend,” said Shaughnessy, a summer arrival from St Mirren.

"The break has been good. All the lads are looking good in training. We would have rather been in the cup but we trained hard all week and we are looking for that first win and I am confident that first win will come.

"We gave a pretty good account of ourselves in the first two games, maybe not for the whole 90 minutes - certainly in the first half at St Mirren we weren't at the races - but in the second half we probably should have got something out of the game.

"And against Motherwell, we did enough to win the game so there is enough there to push on and get that first win.

"There is a lot of new faces in the building, including the manager and staff and it is going to take a while to gel but it is starting to come together. The sooner the better, but I think it is getting there."

Image source, sns

• Tony Docherty has won three of his six matches in charge of Dundee across all competitions (D1 L2), but he is yet to taste victory in the Scottish Premiership (D1 L1).

• Hearts have only won one of their last 10 Premiership away games against newly-promoted opposition (D2 L7), although that was a 1-0 win at Dundee in December 2021.

• Dundee have won just one of their last 15 top-flight matches (D6 L8), a 3-1 win against Hibernian in May 2022.

• Hearts have won each of their last three visits to Dundee in the Premiership, all while keeping a clean sheet. Current Hearts technical director Steven Naismith scored in one of those three wins (3-0 in October 2018).

• Dundee won their last league meeting against Hearts 2-1 in February 2022, last winning back-to-back clashes with the Edinburgh side in the top flight in November 2012 under Barry Smith.

Dundee manager Tony Docherty wants his side to show confidence when they welcome Hearts on Sunday. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip

Dundee host Hearts on Sunday, looking to take advantage of the Tynecastle side's congested schedule, and earn their first league win of the season.

Put yourself in Tony Docherty's shoes, and choose your Dundee team here.