Image source, SNSSt Mirren defender Scott Tanser is banned after being sent off against Motherwell and Shaun Rooney remains out after being suspended by the club following an assault charge.
Alex Iacovitti (tendon) is out long term and Conor McMenamin (knee) is working his way back to fitness.
United are without Ryan Strain, who is making good progress following hamstring surgery.
Image source, SNSSt Mirren assistant Brian Kerr insists the Paisley club are "moving in the right direction" amid a testing start to the season.
The Buddies currently sit sixth, but have won just one of their last nine matches across all competitions after balancing early-season European exertions with domestic duties.
Saints host Dundee United on Saturday and Kerr, who has stepped up to assistant following DiarmuId O'Carroll's exit to Newcastle, said: "We've had some up-and-down results but we're in a position that if we win at the weekend, we can step into fourth place.
"We know how important the weekend is going into an international break, and we always want to win the games, because it gives you a couple of weeks to enjoy things, if that's possible at this level. That's something we're looking to achieve.
"It's a difficult league, and I don't think we can expect anything.
"We know we need to keep working hard and we have brought good players in who know their jobs and responsibilities and they need to understand that's required every week.
"That the hard work and resilience that the boys have showed over the last couple of years, needs to continue."
Striker Mikael Mandron is also confident Stephen Robinson's side are poised to kick into gear.
He said: "I think we're very close to being a very good team. We're very close to everything coming together. I think you can see it.
"You can see game after game that we are getting better, and the results will follow. That's for sure.
"I think it's about the full performance over the whole 90 minutes. We've had games where we've started well, and then the second half didn't quite follow or vice versa, so being able to put in a performance along with the result. I think that's the last thing that's missing."
Celtic & Rangers Euro defeats 'a taste of their own medicine'
Former Hearts, Dundee United and St Johnstone defender Ryan McGowan says non-Old Firm fans will have enjoyed Celtic and Rangers being given a "taste of their own medicine" by "taking a pasting" in Europe against teams with a bigger budget.
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Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
Image source, SNSRoss Graham's header proved decisive when United last faced St Mirren
Jim Goodwin has urged Dundee United to replicate their League Cup performance against St Mirren when they head to "the land of the giants" on Saturday.
It will be the second meeting of the sides this season, with United having knocked the Paisley team out of the League Cup in August.
"You know what you are going to get with St Mirren," Goodwin said of his former side.
"They are probably the most physical team in the league, it really is land of the giants when you play against them and you have got to do the basics well against them to get results.
"You have to win those individual battles, show aggression, and match them in every area. That is what we did in the recent cup game when we beat them at Tannadice.
"We are needing a repeat of that performance. It is going to be a difficult game, no doubt about it.
"This will be the third away fixture in a row for us so it has been quite demanding but the players are looking forward to it."
Having lost just one of their opening six Premiership games, Goodwin says his newly-promoted team have already proved they can compete in the top flight.
"If you look at the fixtures we have played until now, we have already played five of last season's top six," the Irishman added.
"We beat Hearts, drew with Dundee and had a narrow defeat to Rangers so I think the fixtures we have already played have hopefully proven to the group that they are more than capable of playing at this level."
Image source, SNSDundee United have only won one of their last nine Scottish Premiership meetings with St Mirren (D4 L4), a 2-1 away win in March 2022.
St Mirren have won both of their last two league meetings with newly-promoted opponents, last winning three in a row in the top flight in November 2012.
Since the start of April, only St Johnstone (9) have lost more Scottish Premiership matches than St Mirren (8), while the Buddies' 27 goals conceded in the competition is behind only Dundee (29) and the Saints (29) in this time.
Dundee United are yet to lose away from home in three games in the Scottish Premiership this season (W1 D2); the only newly-promoted sides to avoid defeat in their first four on the road in a campaign in the competition since it rebranded in 2013 are Hamilton (5 in 2014-15), Hibernian (9 in 2017-18), and Hearts (5 in 2021-22).
St Mirren have dropped more points from winning positions (7) than any other side in the Scottish Premiership this season. The Buddies have scored first in each of their last four league games but have won just one of them (D2 L1).
Image source, SNSPeter Hartley's primary goal is to "bridge the gap between the under 18s and the first team" at St Mirren as he links up with Stephen Robinson once more.
The former Motherwell captain has been appointed as the Buddies new head of first-team transition and loan pathways after previous incumbent Brian Kerr recently stepped up to become assistant manager.
Hartley served under Robinson in Lanarkshire, and reunites with his old boss after calling time on his playing career in the summer.
"Peter was my captain at Motherwell and I stayed in touch with him in terms of his progression as a coach," Robinson told St Mirren’s website.
"We spoke to numerous people. We wanted somebody that had coaching experience but was also still aligned with the dressing room. We also wanted someone that had worked in a development role and had the relevant qualifications, which Peter certainly does.
"He will work every day with the first team and the biggest thing is to bridge the gap between the under 18s and the first team.
"He’ll manage the loan players, to ensure all the aspects that we believe will develop those players for now and further down the line. It’s a big role for the club and important we’ve got the right person."
On his appointment, the former Hartlepool centre-back said: "The manager has really high standards but I knew that coming in.
"I know exactly what he is about and with me being a young coach, making the transition from playing, I don't think there is a better person to learn from."
Mark Jardine
Fan writer
Where better to start discussing Saturday's gut punch of a defeat in North Lanarkshire than with a contrived comparison to 1998's rom-dram-edy Sliding Doors?
Think of John Hannah's James as three points against ten men, and - bear with me - think of Gwyneth Paltrow's Helen getting on the train as Mark O'Hara slotting a penalty comfortably by Aston Oxborough.
Still with me? Good.
At 2-1 down after a first half with its own controversies to juggle, Dan Casey's save on the line from a Killian Phillips snapshot reduced Motherwell to 10 men and offered a chance to level terms with a full half left to play. However, Oxborough showed quality typical of his season thus far to keep captain O'Hara off the scoresheet.
Train missed. Happiness ruined.
What followed was a test of patience for all but the most saint-like of Saints followers. Recovering from the disappointment well, the Buddies dominated possession and began knocking on the door with increasing intensity before fate intervened once again.
Calmly and casually winning the ball in harmless field position with the side of his foot, Scott Tanser was inexplicably shown a second and unreviewable yellow card. If I had to guess, I would venture that this yellow card was for having thought about slide tackling someone once in his teenage years.
The rest is history. Motherwell stepped up at 10 v 10 and were good value for their three points; the Buddies struggled to recover from this further setback and were largely held at arm's length by cannier opponents.
I won't spoil the rest of Sliding Doors, but for all the short-term pain felt on Saturday, I maintain hope that the Saints will bump into those three points again in a lift somewhere by the end of the season.
Killian Phillips is fast becoming the example for other Stephen Robinson players to follow. Relentless in his running, pressing and harrying of opposition defences, he has already shown a deftness of touch and calm head to match his physical commitment.
This was confirmed in style early on Saturday, pulling down a testing cross before spinning to ripple the net behind Oxborough for the Saints' opener.
He'll surely contribute to happier results before too long.
Mark Jardine can be found on the Misery Hunters podcast, external.
Watch highlights from Motherwell's win 2-1 against St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.
Available to UK viewers only.
We asked for your views on St Mirren's 2-1 defeat against Motherwell.
Here's what some of you said:
Eddie: We really have to start taking our chances. We are too slow in moving the ball from back to front. I have said it before, our midfielders are not strong enough. Thank goodness Greg Kiltie and Conor McMenamin are back soon.
Jim: Another nearly fine performance from St Mirren. Unable to defend corners and suspect on both wide sides. A striker who has been given too many chances and is not good enough. Let's get the team sorted out.
Stuart: I don't want to even talk about the game, as a St Mirren fan I am just disappointed we lost a game that we should never have lost even with the worst officials ever seen in Scottish football.
I am not even going to solely blame the referee who was utterly atrocious, VAR must also take a huge blame in numerous mistakes by the referee.
William: St Mirren should never have lost this game. Refereeing was as we excepted, isn't an easy task but this man had a big impact on the result.
Some very debatable decisions but Saints failure was so many missed chances. Credit to Motherwell's keeper but we must do better and take the chances which could see us sitting deservedly higher in the league.
Huey: The Shaun Rooney debacle has no doubt unsettled the squad, but Mark O'Hara's missed penalty, a harsh second yellow for Scott Tanser and wasteful finishing was our undoing. Our inability to defend a lead is worrying - yet again we went in front only to end up losing - a top-six finish will be a stretch, unfortunately.
Daniel: Poor performance by Saints, plus some of the worst refereeing I've ever seen. Three terrible decisions against us that ultimately cost us the game.
St Mirren have scored in their last four games in the Premiership, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of four games from 15th May 2024 to 11th August 2024.
Motherwell have won after conceding the opening goal in the Premiership for the first time since 6th April 2024 against Dundee (six games without a win).
St Mirren have attempted 15 shots in this game, their highest total in a single match in the Premiership this season.
Motherwell have won three points from losing positions in the Premiership this season, no team has recovered more.
Two penalties, two red cards and a double from teenager Lennon Miller.
There's plenty to talk about so we want to hear from you!
Let us know your thoughts on Saturday's defeat by Motherwell here., external
Image source, SNSSt Mirren manager Stephen Robinson told BBC Scotland: "I thought we put in a really good performance and should've won the match.
"We created numerous chances and we dominated large parts of the game.
"I can only control what we are in control of. All we can control is taking our chances.
"I'm not going to not be standing on the touchline for next week by criticising officials."
Adam Binnie
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSSt Mirren's Scott Tanser was sent off in Saturday's 2-1 defeat by Motherwell
You've got to feel for St Mirren. On 48 minutes, they had a man advantage and reliable captain Mark O'Hara was standing over a penalty kick.
He had only missed three of his previous 19 career spot kicks, but couldn't beat Aston Oxborough from 12 yards.
The miss was then compounded 14 minutes later when Scott Tanser was controversially shown a second yellow card.
A second booking was an extremely harsh punishment for the full-back who made minimal contact with his opposite number in an unthreatening area of the pitch.
However, VAR could not intervene as it was not a straight red.
Image source, SNSMotherwell: Oxborough, O'Donnell, Casey, Gordon, McGinn, Wilson, Zdravkovski, Halliday, Miller, Ebiye, Robinson
Substitutes: Heygi, Seddon, Balmer, Sparrow, Stamatelopoulos, Kaleta, Maswanhise, Watt, Tavares
St Mirren: Balcombe, Bwomono, Fraser, Gogic, Taylor, Tanser, Boyd-Munce, O'Hara, Phillips, Mandron, Olusanya
Substitutes: Urminsky, Dunne, Brown, Smyth, Idowu, Kiltie, Scott, Ayunga, van Veen
Image source, SNSMotherwell defender Stephen O’Donnell is set to miss out with a shoulder injury while Johnny Koutroumbis and Shane Blaney are edging closer to comebacks. Callum Slattery, Sam Nicholson (both knee), Harry Paton (ankle), Ross Callachan (hamstring) and Jack Vale (calf) are long-term absentees.
Shaun Rooney drops out for St Mirren after being suspended by the club following an assault charge. Greg Kitie, Kevin van Veen and Elvis Bwomono all played 70 minutes in a bounce game this week. Conor McMenamin (knee) and Alex Iacovitti (tendon) are out long term.
Image source, SNSSt Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has lost assistant Diarmuid O'Carroll to Newcastle
St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson believes Diarmuid O'Carroll's move to Newcastle United was an "opportunity too good to turn down".
Robinson's assistant, who also worked with him at Motherwell and Morecambe, has moved south of the border to take charge of Newcastle's Under-21s in Premier League 2.
"Diarmuid has been fantastic for the club and he's been very good for me," said the St Mirren boss.
"But it's an opportunity to go and work for one of the richest clubs in the world, one of the biggest clubs in the world.
"It's an opportunity too good to turn down.
"Diarmuid leaves with our best wishes and hopefully we can get a little partnership with Newcastle now and steal some of their players.
"I've no doubt that if he chooses to, he can go on to become a very good manager one day, if he's crazy enough to put himself in that position."
Image source, SNSSt Mirren manager Stephen Robinson has addressed the media before Saturday's trip to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.
Here are the key lines:
A real positive that defender Charles Dunne has returned to the club. He's fit and can fill in for Richard Taylor, who is likely to require a hernia operation, which will keep him out for around four weeks.
Diarmid O’Carroll leaving for Newcastle Under-21s was too good an opportunity to turn down.
Expecting a tough game from Motherwell. Robinson believes Saturday's opponents have started the season well and play a good brand of football.
Image source, SNSMotherwell failed to win all three of their league meetings with St Mirren last season (D2 L1), picking up just two points.
St Mirren have only won one of their last six league trips to Motherwell (D2 L3), a 1-0 win in September 2023.
Motherwell have won two of their last four home league games (D1 L1), as many as their previous 15 beforehand (W2 D6 L7).
St Mirren have only won one of their last nine away league outings (D3 L5), a 3-1 win at Dundee in May last season.
Toyosi Olusanya has scored in each of his last three league games; the last player to score in four straight top-flight appearances for St Mirren was Andy Dorman in April 2009, whose fourth such match in that streak was against Motherwell.
