Craig Slater: Dundee United sign midfielder on loan from Colchester

Craig Slater has represented Scotland at Under-21 level

Dundee United have signed former Kilmarnock midfielder Craig Slater on loan, following long-term injuries to Fraser Fyvie and Scott Fraser.

Former Scotland Under-21 international Slater, 23, joins from English League Two side Colchester United on a deal until the end of the season.

He has made 42 appearances for the club, scoring three goals.

Both Fyvie, 24, and Fraser, 22, are set to miss the remainder of United's Scottish Championship campaign.

Former Aberdeen, Wigan and Hibernian midfielder Fyvie has torn his medial meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

Fraser, who has spent his entire professional career on United's books, re-fractured his foot, following a previous injury sustained in March.

Slater was a regular in his first season in Essex until undergoing double hernia surgery in February and has struggled for game time for the promotion-chasing outfit this term after returning from a hip injury.

The 23-year-old scored nine goals in 85 appearances in four seasons with Kilmarnock from 2012 to 2016.

United remain second in the Championship, but moved within three points of leaders St Mirren thanks to Tuesday's 4-1 hammering of Brechin City.

Csaba Laszlo's Terrors have a game in hand on the Paisley side, and travel to face ninth-placed Falkirk on Saturday.