Wilkie to go out on loan?

Craig Levein has revealed he is considering sending defender Lee Wilkie out on loan for some much needed match practice.

The ex Dundee defender made his debut for United against Falkirk on Saturday but he had a nightmare start as United lost FIVE goals to the Bairns.

New manager Levein has said that Wilkie is a long way off being ready for the SPL and a loan spell in a lower division would do him the world of good as he battles to come back from the serious knee injuries he has had in recent years.

Levein said: ‘In my opinion, Lee is not ready to play first-team matches at this level. So I am considering putting him out on loan for about a month. He needs to find some middle ground between reserve football and the first team in the SPL. It could do him a power of good to get competitive matches but not quite at the same pace as the Premier League.’

The big defender is on a pay as you play contract until the end of this season so United can see if he can comeback from his injury and earn a full time contract.

Levein added: ‘I like Lee as a player and tried to sign him for Leicester, he is a Scotland international and has the experience we need for our side, unfortunately though, he has played just a handful of games in something like two-and-a-half years. So if he could get four or five matches at lower league level that would help him.’