A Saturday night sojourn to Dens Park ended in disappointment for Rangers last weekend, with their 2-1 lead short-lived.

The 2-2 draw maintained an unbeaten run for Derek McInnes' side but brought an end to a sequence of seven straight wins.

The real cost, though, was ground lost on Celtic, who opened up a four-point lead at the top by trouncing Hearts 7-1 on Sunday.

A long seven days later, Rangers are back at home to face promoted St Johnstone for the first time in 21 months.

The last time the Perth side visited, they were three down by the break and got one back in the second period, continuing a run of Ibrox losses to seven in a row.

However, like Dundee, Saints have started the season well, sitting fifth.

Simo Valakari has managed three times against Rangers as St Johnstone boss and is still looking for his first point.

Achieving such a feat on Saturday would not only bolster that positive start to the season, it would like cause further ripples in the still very early Scottish Premiership title race.

Dundee Utd: Walton, Rawlins, Esselink, Forbes, Ciubotaru, Tait, Cameron, Iqbal, Randall, Sapsford, Bennie.

Substitutes: Amissah, Iovu, Graham, Camara, Rose, Farrugia, Naamo, Yoro, Metsoko.

Aberdeen: Muller, Cadden, Milne, Molloy, Guinness-Walker, Aremu, Lyons, Ronan, Armstrong, Mouloua, Nisbet.

Substitutes: Klein, Devlin, Briedl, Smith, Mahou, Olusanya, Ntelo, Fasanya, Gyamfi.