Jim Goodwin to Miss Dundee United Match After Hospital Admission

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin will miss Saturday’s Scottish Premiership trip to Kilmarnock after being admitted to hospital. The club confirmed that the 44-year-old would not be at Rugby Park as he continues to deal with what it described as an ongoing medical matter. No diagnosis or timetable for his return was announced.

Watch the highlights:

BBC Sport reported that Goodwin felt unwell on Thursday and was kept in hospital for observation. Assistant manager Lee Sharp said on Friday that he had spoken with Goodwin the previous evening and again that morning, and that the former Republic of Ireland international was in good spirits. Sharp said he had not been given further medical details.

Goodwin’s absence became definite on Saturday morning after there had initially been uncertainty about whether he might be released in time to travel. Sharp led first-team training at Dundee United’s St Andrews base on Friday and handled the pre-match media duties. At that stage, he said the staff were taking the situation as it developed and had not settled publicly who would lead the team during the match.

The fixture carries immediate importance for both clubs after difficult starts to the league season. Dundee United entered the weekend in 11th place with one point from three Premiership games, while Kilmarnock were 12th without a point from two matches. United’s official website listed the game for 3 p.m. on Saturday at Rugby Park.

United are also trying to halt a run of three consecutive defeats without a goal across league and cup competition. Their latest result was a 2-0 home loss to Dundee on August 22, following 4-0 defeats by Hearts in the league and Celtic in the League Cup. According to PA reporting carried by RTÉ, Goodwin had described the Kilmarnock fixture as a major game before he became ill.

The club’s update kept the focus on Goodwin’s health and did not offer further information beyond confirming his absence. Sharp and the remaining staff were left to oversee the squad’s preparations while Goodwin continued to receive medical attention. Dundee United had not specified when he would be able to resume his managerial duties.