Paul Dixon insists high-flying Inverness are bound to have one eye on their upcoming Scottish Cup Final date - and hopes Dundee United can cash in on that tonight.

United travel to the Highlands on league business to face John Hughes' proud cup finalists who are gearing up to take on Falkirk at Hampden on May 30 in their first final.

The Highland shock-troops triumphed against all the odds recently when they stunned Celtic by beating them after extra-time to clinch their place in the final, so now they stand just 90 minutes away from becoming the first Caley Thistle team to lift the famous old trophy.

It's been a stunning season so far which sees them sit sit third top of the Premiership with gaffer Hughes also being named as PFA Premiership Manager of the Year for leading them to such heights.

But Tannadice defender Dixon, who was part of United's 2010 Scottish Cup winning side, believes it's inevitable Inverness will already be letting their minds drift towards their big day out at the National Stadium at the end of this month.

And he's hoping hopes Jackie McNamara's visitors can capitalise by catching them with their eye off the ball in their own quest to overtake their rivals and pip them to third place which would seal a European slot for the Tangerines.

He said: "People try to say it is not a distraction [the final] but it is. I don't care if you are Messi or Ronaldo or even playing in the Scottish Premiership, a forthcoming cup final always remains at the back of your mind.

"It doesn't mean you don't give 100 per cent in your other games but , there is always something there at the back of your mind that you could get suspended or a niggling injury that could put you out of the final.

"It is hard to go out there without worrying about maybe missing the big occasion through injury or suspension. All the Inverness boys will be giving 100 per cent because they will all want to play in the final but it is one of these weird situations that comes up in football.

"It is a tough one for the Inverness boys."

This is the first of a two crunch clashes with Inverness which United have earmarked as potentially pivotal in the race for that elusive third place in the table.

A win in the Highlands in tonight's re-arranged match would see them move to within a point of Caley Thistle, on the back of Saturday's 1-0 victory over Premiership runners-up Aberdeen.

And Dixon doesn't hide from the fact that a double showdown with tonight's opponents could go a long way to defining their season.

Dixon said: "I would imagine these Inverness games will be key.

"We are four points behind them and if can win them both then it would be great.

"We will just focus on trying to beat everybody we have left to face."

"We look forward to Inverness.

"We had a great win over Aberdeen at the weekend and we are now looking to build on that on Tuesday.

"We have got four games left and we want to win as many of these games as we can.

"We want to get as high up the table as we can and hopefully back into Europe.

"If we win all our games and we could get third place.

"We just have to take it one game at a time."

Dixon returned to United for a second spell from English outfit Huddersfield Town at the end of the January Transfer Window and feels the Tangerines are over their recent sticky patch following Saturday's win over Aberdeen.

He said: "It was a bit worrying that period but we still remained in fourth all the way through that.

"The win over Hamilton and cemented it for us and we are now back there.

"It was heartening that although we weren't winning games we were always in the hunt."