Steven MacLean sure fans will answer club's rallying call and turn out in force for Dundee United game

Steven MacLean is sure St Johnstone fans will answer the club’s rallying call and turn out in force this weekend.

The interim boss is gearing up for Saturday afternoon’s huge tussle of Tayside against Dundee United at McDiarmid Park.

The Perth club has been pushing to promote the game to schools, teams and groups in order to ramp up the atmosphere for what is the first of the post-split fixtures.

Opponents Dundee United sit just two points behind ninth-placed Saints and their fans will only be housed in the North Stand and a section of the Main Stand.

“I’m sure we’ll have a big home support for this game,” MacLean said.

“We’re all really looking forward to it. It’s a derby.

“The club have made the right decision and the players are delighted with it.

“We’ll do our best to give the fans something to get behind and I know they’ll give us great backing.

“We’re looking at this game as a big opportunity to start these last five games in the right way.

“Dundee United are on a good run of form. We’ve watched their last three games and I was at the Hibs match myself.

“We’ve got to embrace this situation, be positive and enjoy a big game like this. I’m sure we’ll give it a go.

“We’ve got a point against Hibs – it should have been three. It was a good performance and we’ve backed it up well in training.

“It’s all about results but if we can control our own performance hopefully those will come.”

MacLean hopes to have defender Alex Mitchell back available.

“We’re hopeful he’ll be back for Saturday,” MacLean said.

“He did bits and pieces last week with the physio. It was hamstring – he was touch and go for Livingston. It didn’t feel great in the warm-up so we left him on the bench.

“Dan Phillips had an illness but he’s fine now.”