Paul Heckingbottom will be without five players for the Friday night match, with winger Thomas Agyepong close to a return but midfielder Ryan Gauld still facing a week or two on the sidelines.

Midfield enforcer Marvin Bartley is also unlikely to feature while winger Martin Boyle and centre-back Ryan Porteous are long-term absentees.

Dundee have a full squad to choose from barring defensive duo Andrew Davies and Josh Meekings and goalkeeper Jack Hamilton. Striker Andrew Nelson and midfielder Andreas Hadenius are expected to overcome knocks in time but Craig Curran is a doubt with a stomach issue.

Florian Kamberi opened the scoring on Hibs' last trip to Dens Park. Picture: SNS group

Victory for Hibs would move them into sixth place until at least Saturday evening. A win for Aberdeen at St Johnstone, and Celtic overcoming Motherwell on Sunday would keep Hibs in the top half of the table going into next Wednesday’s match with the Perth Saints.

Stephane Omeonga, the midfielder on loan from Serie A side Genoa, has impressed in his recent substitute appearances, cracking a 20-yard effort off the base of the post in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Hamilton at Easter Road, and will be pushing for a starting berth this evening.

Hibs striker Marc McNulty told the Evening News: “It’s the biggest game of the season for us. If we want the top six, it’s a must-win game. All the boys know that. We know Dundee are capable of picking up results here and there so it won’t be an easy night but we need to go up there confident.”

Dundee defender James Horsfield added: “We are a relatively new team, the more we get to know each other the better we are going to play together.”

“I think it’s clicking, it’s worked so far, we aren’t getting carried away, we know there is a long long way to go to the end of the season. We have to keep working hard and keep fighting for each other.”

Injuries / suspensions / unavailable

Dundee: Andrew Davies (foot), Jack Hamilton (finger), Josh Meekings (hip).

Hibs: Thomas Agyepong (recovery), Marvin Bartley (hamstring), Martin Boyle (knee), Ryan Gauld (hamstring) Ryan Porteous (knee) are all sidelined with injury while Darnell Johnson serves the second of a two-match ban.

Possible teams

Dundee (4-4-2): Dieng; Horsfield, R McGowan, Kusunga, Ralph; Dales, Hadenius, Woods, Wright; Miller. Nelson. Subs from: Parish, J Curran, P McGowan, O’Dea, C Curran, O’Sullivan, Robson, Kerr, Moore.

Hibs (4-4-2): Marciano; Gray, McGregor, Hanlon, Stevenson; Mallan, Slivka, Milligan, Horgan; Kamberi, McNulty. Subs from: Bogdan, Dabrowski, Nelom, Mackie, Whittaker, Omeonga, Bigirimana, F Murray, Block, Shaw, Gullan, Allan.

Magic number - 1

The number of losses Hibs have experienced in their last seven visits to Dens.

Key battle

Former Hearts and Dundee United defender Ryan McGowan will have his hands full with Marc McNulty as the effervescent striker eyes a third goal in as many starts in green and white.

Dundee danger men

Andrew Nelson has proved to be a shrewd signing for the Dark Blues and, having masterminded Dundee’s 2-1 win over Hearts last month he will be eager to make it a Capital double by putting Hibs to the sword tonight. Veteran striker and former Hibs kid Kenny Miller scored the last time the two teams met and still presents a danger. And on-loan Aberdeen winger Scott Wright is capable of magic on the flanks.

Key stats

Dundee haven’t beaten Hibs in a top-flight meeting since a 3-1 win at Dens Park in November 2012, but Hibs have only won one out of six Scottish Premiership away matches on a Friday night - a 4-0 victory over Motherwell at Fir Park in October 2012. Jim McIntyre has won just one of his five top-flight matches against Hibs: his Dunfermline side won 1-0 in November 2011 in what turned out to be Colin Calderwood’s last game in charge of the Easter Road team.

Referee

John Beaton is the man in the middle for tonight’s match. He is assisted by Daniel McFarlane and Drew Kirkland, with Steven McLean on fourth-official duties.

Dundee v Hibs: Same team? | Omeonga to start? | Chance to go sixth