Jon Daly, the Dundee United striker, was last night facing a race against time to be ready to play Airdrie - after his wife Linda went into labour.

The Irish striker was due to be presented with an award for scoring a hat-trick against Cowdenbeath in the last round of the competition but Craig Levein, the club's manager, had to accept it on his behalf.

Daly received a call from home at lunchtime yesterday so had to rush off from training to join his wife. The Dalys are expecting their first child but Jon hopes to still be able to dart away from hospital in time to play against Airdrie.

Levein has been impressed by the 25-year-old since he broke back into the side following a long injury absence and he was particularly effective against Aberdeen last weekend. With Roy O'Donovan and Warren Feeney on the sidelines, United are running low on strikers but the manager will give Daly as much time as he needs.

"Jon has had to shoot off because his wife has been overdue with their first baby," said Levein. "The information we have is that she's going into labour but who knows how long it will take for the birth to happen? I spoke to him before he left and he told me he's desperate to play against Airdrie but it's just going to be a case of waiting to see what happens."

Levein insists his players won't need any reminders about how potent Airdrie can be because their win at Tynecastle in the last round caught everyone's attention. "We don't need any warnings about Airdrie, all we need is to look at the fact they went to Tynecastle and put Hearts out of the competition," he said.

Levein is close friends with Kenny Black, the Airdrie manager, and took him to Leicester as part of his backroom staff when he moved south in 2004. Black returned north to join Airdrie at roughly the same time as Levein got the United job and he's revitalised the once-ailing club. "I know Kenny Black really well, he worked with me at Leicester and he's a good mate," said Levein.

"He's done a fantastic job at Airdrie. They are not one of the bigger spending teams in the league but he's got them playing well and getting results. He's brought in some decent players and has really got that club going again."

Prince Buaben, the Dundee United midfielder, believes his side's win over Aberdeen at the weekend will signal a change in fortunes for them this season and may even set them on a patch back to the League Cup final.

United lost last season's showpiece on penalties to Rangers and the Ghana internationalist's desire to return to that stage is even stronger for the experience. "We are delighted after the Aberdeen game and the lads' confidence is really high now.

"We always knew a victory wasn't far away and now we hope to take that form in to the cup game. The competition was really good for us last year, even though the way we lost the final was sickening.

"What happened just makes us even more determined to get back there for another chance to lift the trophy."

Willo Flood is doubtful with a hamstring injury so faces a late fitness test.

Black said his side need to be on top form for the game. "We had been performing really well, however expectations were beginning to get ahead of themselves," he said.

"Playing Dundee United allows us to re-focus on what we are good at. And we will need to be at our very, very best to take anything out of this tie."

Joe Cardle is fit again, so Black has a full squad to choose from with the exception of Paul Lovering, who is suspended after his red card against Clyde on Saturday.

The player has only recently returned from a four-match ban, and Black said: "With his experience he should have known better than to get involved when there is a big cup tie coming up."

Probable teams Dundee United Zaluska, Wilkie, Dillon, Dods, Conway, Gomis, Buaben, Kovacevic, S Robertson, Daly, Sandaza Airdrie United Robertson, Smyth, Cardle, McDonald, B Donnelly, Nixon, McDougall, McKenna, Di Giacomo, Lynch, McLaughlin.