CHARLIE MULGREW insists Dundee United's preparations for their clash with Rangers haven't suffered a serious setback despite a Covid scare at Tannadice.
Boss Tam Courts was forced to change his training schedules at the start of the week after positive cases were confirmed within the Arabs camp.
Fears that United may have to pull out of the Ibrox fixture proved to be unfounded and Courts will now look to mastermind a second win of the season against the champions.
The future of Scottish football has been put back under the spotlight as a result of the new Omicron variant that has sparked another wave of Covid concern.
But Mulgrew is confident United will be primed for action this afternoon ahead of their meeting with Giovanni van Bronckhorst's league leaders.
“Well, that’s not really our focus," Mulgrew said. "Our focus is on to try and put on a good performance and try and get a result.
"It’s difficult circumstances, but the most we can do is focus on what we can effect. That’s what we’re trying to do at the moment.
“The biggest disruption has probably been more people missing training on different days than normal.
"But in general, we’ve still got a lot of good training in, maybe slightly less tactical work if you’re being picky.
"There are some weeks when you get that anyway because numbers in training [drop] with some people missing the odd day through a knock. There are weeks when you get that anyway.
“It would be easy for us to look at the negatives and try and make excuses but we’re trying to look towards the game and we’re trying to do everything we can to be best prepared.
"There’s so much talk. I try my best not to watch the news to be honest.
"Hopefully things can move on quickly and we can continue playing football as normal and games don’t get too affected and things get back to normal. I think that’s what everybody wants."
United are not the only club to have been caught up in the latest round of Covid issues and the immediate future of the game is now under question once again.
Courts saw his side beat Rangers in front of a buoyant home crowd back in August and Mulgrew hopes supporters don't bear the brunt of any likely pandemic protocols.
Mulgrew said: "It has been massive. We have loved having the fans back.
"Football is nothing without the fans. You have heard it a million times but it is truly how we feel.
"Everyone wants the supporters in the stadiums and the last thing we want is to go back to no fans.
"As I say, we are doing all the protocols and everything we can to make sure that we can continue to have fans and continue to move forward with the proper way that football should be played.
"They had a massive input that day [against Rangers]. We done our bit to get the fans onside and they played a huge part in making us play well.
"Fans are a massive part of every game in the world of football so we want to have them there."
That victory over the champions - earned thanks to Jamie Robson's second half strike - was part of a terrific start to the campaign for United.
But the Arabs are now without a win in four heading into the Ibrox clash and face an ominous task against a rejuvenated Rangers this afternoon.
Mulgrew said: "It is an isolated game in itself that we will take care of however we need to take care of it. It is a difficult game, away from home makes it even more difficult.
"But it is one that we want to try and put on a performance and get a result. Teams have gone there and struggled but we need to look at what we can bring to the game and how we can cause problems."
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