Dundee United striker Marc McNulty ruled out for the rest of the season

Dundee United have lost Marc McNulty for the rest of the season.

The on-loan Reading forward suffered a knee injury in a collision with team-mate Liam Smith during Saturday’s 1-0 win over Motherwell.

Ahead of a trip to face Rangers on Sunday, head coach Tam Courts said: “Marc McNulty is going to be out and will miss the rest of the season. That innocuous challenge with a team-mate has been quite a severe one.

“We have just got the scan results back so I don’t know the full extent but I know enough to suggest that his season is over.”

McNulty’s Reading contract expires in the summer and the 29-year-old has made it clear he will not return to the Madejski Stadium.

The former Livingston and Hibernian striker will continue having discussions with United sporting director Tony Asghar over his future.

“I’m sure he will be having discussions with Tony internally with us,” Courts said.

“He knows that even beyond the injury we will look after him until he’s back training fully and available for selection, for this club or his next club. We will do everything we can to look after him.”

Although United are well-placed to seal a spot in the Europa Conference League qualifiers, the blow caps off a frustrating personal season for McNulty, who has scored three goals after missing four months following hamstring surgery.

“I remember speaking to him often when he had the muscular injury,” Courts said. “It was actually his first long period of absence and it was something I think he struggled with psychologically because he was pushing to get back a matter of weeks after getting the operation.

“That push almost felt like it happened for a couple of months, he was so desperate to do well for the club and get back onto the pitch and help