Falkirk

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Falkirk winger Aodhan Doherty (foot) joins Joe Gardner (thigh), Aidan Nesbitt, Keelan Adams, Ethan Laidlaw and Finn Yeats (all ankle) in missing out.

Dundee striker Bobby Wales is out after injuring his ankle while on international duty with Scotland Under-21s.

Fellow forward Joe Westley has also picked up an ankle issue and it remains to be seen how long he will be out while Ashley Hay is available for the first time since August.

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Captain Brad Spencer senses new-look Falkirk are starting to click into gear following a summer of transition.

The Bairns had a tough start to the campaign amid significant turnover of players but put together a three-game unbeaten run - including a win over Hearts - before the break.

"I think that's always the case when you bring in so many players," Spencer said of their early teething problems. "I think everybody's starting to gel really well together now.

"We've got a good squad, a good group and we've had a couple of decent results back-to-back so it's just about building on it, kicking on and trying to put a few wins together."

Falkirk are second bottom of the table with six points from seven matches. However, the Bairns, who host Dundee on Saturday, had the same number of points at the same stage last term and then embarked on a run that took them into the top six.

"We're not far off where we started last year also, and that obviously worked out well," said Spencer. "We just need to try and put some wins together and we'll be alright."

• Since the start of last season, only Aberdeen (15) have lost more Scottish Premiership away games than Dundee (14), who have lost four of their past five on the road (W1).

• Despite facing the most shots of any side in the Premiership this season (135), Dundee rank fourth lowest for xG against (10.6). Their xGA/shot faced of 0.08 is the lowest of any side in the competition.

• Falkirk have earned more points in their past three league games (5 – W1 D2) than their previous 10 beforehand (4 – W1 D1 L8).

• Falkirk won both home games against Dundee in last season's Premiership, one of just two sides they beat twice on home soil (also Kilmarnock).

• The past two league meetings between Falkirk and Dundee have finished 1-0, with the Dees winning in December and the Bairns in February last season.

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Falkirk winger Aodhan Doherty is facing two months out with a foot injury sustained on international duty with Northern Ireland Under-21s.

The 20-year-old, who has made seven appearances since joining on loan from Blackburn in the summer, has returned to his parent club for treatment.

"We're thinking he'll probably be eight weeks, so he'll get treatment down in Blackburn and then come back up the road once he gets closer to his recovery," said Bairns assistant Paul Smith.

"It's a blow because he's had wee spells in the team and he was just starting to show things and get more settled in."

In a further blow, right-back Keelan Adams, who was poised to return from a long-term ankle issue, has suffered another setback.

"Keelan Adams unfortunately got bone bruising on his ankle which is disappointing for him because he played in a bounce game up at Dundee about four weeks ago and did really, really well and we thought that was him back and ready to kick on," said Smith.

"With bone bruising, he could be back in a week or it could be five or six weeks, so we'll just have to see how it settles down."

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Are underlying numbers from the start of the Scottish Premiership season suggesting a refreshed approach could be taking hold across the league?

Well, the success stories at Motherwell and Falkirk last season seem to have had an influence.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin was humble enough to reveal that Jens Berthel Askou - now head coach at Toulouse in Ligue 1 - has inspired him to change his ways after more than 15 years as a player and manager in Scotland.

Goodwin's side are one of a number of Premiership teams to have undergone a stylistic shift this term, and that is reflected in the league's overall numbers, albeit the sample size remains small after just seven matches for each club.

Compared with the previous five Scottish top-flight seasons, passes per game have soared to 886. That is an increase of 58 on last term. Five years ago, the average was 795.

Passing accuracy is also at a high of 81%, which is quite a remarkable increase on the 73% recorded in 2023-24.

That is down to more short passing. The percentage of long passes across the league (13%) is now at its lowest level of the past five years. Perhaps surprisingly, Hearts and Rangers go long more than any other teams.

Goodwin's United, meanwhile, have gone from average possession of 42% last term to 50% this season. Their accurate passes per match have rocketed from 219 to 320.

It is a similar story for St Mirren under Craig McLeish and Neil McCann's Kilmarnock, while league leaders Celtic and Alfred Johansson's Motherwell are locked at the top of the possession chart on 61%.

The promotion of St Johnstone back into the league, replacing Livingston, has added another side who aim to play a more expansive brand.

The recent appointment of Dutch head coach Marink Reedijk at Hibernian will only enhance that.

Read more: Why early-season data points to Premiership style shift

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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BBC Sport Scotland has been taking a look at away ticket pricing in Scottish football.

It is an issue which has been tackled at the highest level south of the border, with a £30 away ticket cap having been in operation in the Premier League for a decade.

Is anything similar on the agenda north of the border?

While it doesn't appear to be at the moment, we have been canvassing the thoughts of fans across the Premiership.

An adult away fan going to a league game at Falkirk will pay £28, with concessions ranging from £6 to £22.

Falkirk fan Grant Heaney says: "Away ticket prices are excessive. I think there definitely has to be some sort of cap introduced.

"I can see both sides of it - everything is going up in price and clubs are obviously affected by that as well.

"But looking at the big picture, just for a family or some friends to go to a game of football nowadays, when you factor in the ticket prices, the travel, even getting a pie and a Bovril, it is a big outgoing for fans.

"I think fans feel enough is enough in terms of ticket prices and it should be brought into line across the board."

Read more: Are SPFL away tickets too expensive?

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Scott Bain's wait for an opportunity with Scotland goes on, but there was still a familiar face for Falkirk fans to cheer on Saturday.

Luke Graham's first cap against North Macedonia took me back to his time on loan with us in the Championship two years ago.

When John McGlynn brought him in, it was apparent almost immediately we had a player with a big future on our hands.

For someone so young, Graham was a commanding presence at the back. He was calm in possession, comfortable striding forward and rarely looked fazed by what was happening around him.

Those qualities made him a standout in our promotion-winning side and renewing his loan at the end of January proved an important piece of business as we pushed for a return to the top flight.

Having helped us get there, Graham returned to Dundee and slotted seamlessly into their first team last season, developing further under Steven Pressley.

On the strength of those performances, he was mightily unlucky to miss out on the World Cup.

It was pleasing to see Graham make his Scotland debut on Saturday, even if many of us felt it had been a long time coming.

He left a lasting impression during his loan spell at Falkirk and I suspect it will be the first of many appearances for his country.

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We asked you to rate Falkirk's season and tell us what John McGlynn should be focusing on during the international break.

Here's what some of you said:

Campbell: Fixtures have been very tough, we've played five of the top six. I think we're only a point or two behind what we'd hope to get from those games. Real picture comes after 11 games.

Rossco: After a significant rebuild, the loss of key players and personalities in the team has been obvious. We don't have the same quality in those key areas any more and basic mistakes are costing us points that might be key to our survival. There's been a few questionable selections and subs from the gaffer but overall, it's probably what we deserve within a competitive league.

PB: Falkirk have almost been cursed with the start of the season, between the line-up changes and then the run of teams played. It's been frustrating to watch but also pretty understandable and forgiveable. The win against Hearts shows things are picking up, and although we drew at St Johnstone I would say the goal coming when it did just comes down to bad luck. The team seems to be starting to gel a wee bit more now with more of a clear structure. Onwards and upwards.

David: Yet again McGlynn proves he is the master at building a team that can operate at the highest level on the lowest budget. Seventeen new signings replaced 15 outgoing players. The stop-start nature of this season has allowed him to get the gelling process into the greatest efficiency on the training ground. All of the trends are positive. Three games undefeated. His preferred front four have all scored one goal in the last three matches. In four away matches, only once has he tasted defeat. Fasten your seatbelt for more thrills on McGlynn's Navy Blue rollercoaster!

As the extended international break continues, we want to hear your thoughts on Falkirk's opening seven games in the Scottish Premiership.

Having taken the top flight by storm on their return last season, John McGlynn's side are finding things tougher this time.

Just one point was picked up from the first four games, although a three-match unbeaten run - including a first win, over Hearts - has followed.

How do you rate Falkirk's start to the season and why? And what should McGlynn be focusing on during the extended break?

Share your views here

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Football has a funny way of making things fall into place - and Ryan Strain's signing feels like a case in point.

The Australia international's arrival raised a few eyebrows among the Bairns faithful earlier this summer. That was no slight on Strain's ability.

We had already brought in Jack McMillan at right-back while Keelan Adams, a key performer in recent years, was also on the books.

It soon became clear Adams was injured and needed surgery, which explained the decision to bring in Strain. He had spent the first part of the summer at PFA Scotland's inaugural free agent training camp, but has since wasted little time making an impression at Falkirk.

Of the 17 players we brought in over the summer, Strain has arguably been the standout so far.

Others have impressed too, but the 29-year-old has slotted seamlessly into the right-back role and made it his own.

His influence seems to grow by the week. He's set up a goal in two of his past three outings, offers a threat with his set-piece delivery and has been reliable at the back, while his 14 tackles won is the joint highest in the Premiership.

Ironically, now that everyone is available again, it feels like his jersey to lose.

Grant Heaney
Fan writer

Falkirk welcomed 17 new faces during a summer of major change, yet it is one of our existing players who has emerged as a standout performer heading into the first international break.

That man is Ethan Ross, who scored against St Johnstone last Saturday during another impressive and encouraging performance.

Ross was a key player as we worked our way through League One and the Championship. He played a particularly important role in our Championship-winning campaign, notably scoring twice on the final night of the season as victory over Hamilton clinched the title.

His first season in the Premiership never really got going after he suffered a bad injury against Livingston early in the campaign. However, the 25-year-old has clearly benefited from a full pre-season and a consistent run in the starting XI.

Filling the sizeable void left by Calvin Miller was always going to be a tough task, but Ross looks determined to give it his best shot.

As well as finding the net against St Johnstone, he drew the foul that resulted in Cheick Diabate being sent off.

Indeed, Ross is the second most fouled player during the opening stretch of the Premiership season, having been brought down 19 times.

It is not just his flair and attacking quality that add so much to the team. He is also a tireless worker who is always willing to track back and put in a shift.

It is great to see Ross flourishing and, on current form, I would like to think a contract extension is something the club are working on.

Sportscene's Steven Thompson and James McFadden review St Johnstone and Falkirk's 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw.

Newly-promoted St Johnstone are sixth in the Scottish Premiership on eight points, while Falkirk are 11th on six points.

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John McGlynn believes matching last season's Premiership start augurs well for Falkirk.

Saturday's 1-1 draw at St Johnstone leaves the Bairns second bottom on six points after seven games.

That's an identical record to the 2025-26 campaign when McGlynn's squad improved to finish in the top six.

Much has been made of the scale of McGlynn's rebuilding job this summer as Calvin Miller, Dylan Tait and Barney Stewart all left the club along with their loan stars.

McGlynn believes coming through that upheaval - and a tough opening fixture slate - with the same results as 12 months ago is a positive.

He said: "I wasn't happy with the St Mirren game, the very first game. After that, we've had some really hard games. We've had to go to Fir Park, we got a draw against Motherwell.

"We then had Celtic, lost 2-1. We play Rangers and do well but lose 2-1. We won the Hearts game. Against St Johnstone, we didn't reach the level we wanted to reach.

"But St Johnstone have been going well – they beat Killie, Hibs and got a point at Dens Park. I feel we have been fairly consistent. We are in the exact same position as we were at this time last year.

"That ended up well. So, there's a long way to go and a lot to look forward to."

Ethan Ross scored his first goal for 13 months to fire Falkirk ahead on the hour, shortly after Saints defender Cheick Diabate was sent off.

McGlynn was unhappy at Falkirk's failure to make their advantage count for more – and their tendency to concede free-kicks.

A Saints set-piece finally paid off in the sixth minute of stoppage time when Enes Alic levelled from 25 yards.

"We dropped two points at Dundee United in the last minute two weeks ago – and have dropped another two here with the last kick of the ball," said McGlynn.

"We should be sitting in a better position in the league but we're licking our wounds."

St Johnstone leave it late to equaliser against Falkirk in a 1-1 Scottish Premiership draw (UK only).

Falkirk fans, we asked for your opinions on the 1-1 draw with St Johnstone. Here's a taste of what you had to say...

John: Naive in defence - silly, silly fouls. We had pressure on their defence early on but let them back in it. A close game with two good halves from Scott Bain kept us in it. Disappointing to drop two points, again.

Gary: Should have seen the game out! Really disappointing we couldn't. I see good signs, so not pressing the panic button yet.

Kev: Amateur, amateur, amateur! When will we learn how to close out a game, especially against 10 men?

Iain: As poor a game as I've seen in a while. Both sides were slow and ponderous, but both goals were top class. Saints deserved the draw, the sending off inspired them whereas we went 1-0 up and decided to just try and see the game out. Nobody to blame apart from ourselves.

David: In this stop start season, normally three points at home (against Hearts) and one point away (against St Johnstone) would be considered a good return for two games in a week, however a last-kick equaliser is truly a sore one.

The new squad is still going through a gelling phase and with John McGlynn at the helm, I know that we will get it right before too long. Following the Bairns is one long rollercoaster ride and there will be a few more thrills before too long!

Colin: Still early days, feels like a glass-half-full type of season so far. We're on the same points total as we were at this time last season, but it really should be more. Two last-minute equalisers have been sickening. That said, I'm not convinced some of our new players are up to the standard required - time will tell.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn: "When you're 1-0 up in the 94th minute, it's a sore one to take. Looking at the whole game, we never got to the levels I'd have liked, at any time.

"The first half, St Johnstone had the better two chances. They've hit the bar with one and Scott Bain made a good save at the other.

"It was nip-and-tuck, a game of chess tactically. It was slow, methodical, no real cutting edge to our play which is how we normally play.

"We started the second half much better, much brighter and we score a good goal. When St Johnstone go down to 10 men, we should go on and win the game.

"Their free-kick is executed really well but we brought it on ourselves, not retaining the ball. We've given away too many silly free-kicks.

"We just need to kick the ball up the park. It's the second time we've lost with virtually the last kick of the ball, Dundee United as well.

"We've thrown away four points, and we could have been sitting in a much nicer position in the league."

Ten-man St Johnstone produced a stunning late comeback to rescue a Scottish Premiership point and deflate Falkirk at McDiarmid Park.

Read the match report here

Have your say on the match here

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Jamie Gullan and Zach Mitchell are back for St Johnstone, while Bozo Mikulic remains a doubt.

Falkirk boss John McGlynn has no new injuries for the trip to Perth.

Conor McLeod has resumed training after recovering from a knee injury but the games comes too soon.

Joe Gardner (thigh) and Aidan Nesbitt, Finn Yeats (both ankle) remain out.

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Ryan Strain recalled an unusual summer that helped get his career back on track at Falkirk.

The 29-year-old Australia right-back was looking for a club after his contract at Dundee United had expired when he joined up with PFA Scotland's inaugural free agent training camp in Kirkintilloch.

The former Maccabi Haifa and St Mirren player, who began his senior career in Australia with Adelaide United, then got the call from Bairns boss John McGlynn before signing on a one-year deal.

Before the trip to St Johnstone on Saturday, Strain said: "They put on a training camp and it was brilliant, like coming back to a club. So I've got to thank them.

"They had coaches in lunches, everything, and it was brilliant.

"It's mentally hard (without a club). It's good that you're with people in the same position though.

"I think the best thing about the PFA (initiative) is that you're with people who are in the same position. You can talk to people about what's going on and everything like that.

"Trying to train on your own as a footballer is so hard, you're just doing box to boxes every day and you're sick of it.

"So it was good to get in, train with a group of lads and that mentally helped.

"I was there for two weeks. I then got a phone call from the manager here, just seeing what I was doing, and as soon as I heard Falkirk was interested, I really wanted to make that happen.

"Last season wasn't my best, probably my worst season in Scotland.

"I got an injury early, and then just couldn't get back in the team, and coming off-contracts is hard, but thankfully I got a chance here and just trying to repay that.

"I have loved it, loved every minute, playing a lot of games, played every minute in the league so far."

Falkirk beat Hearts 2-1 at home on Tuesday night for their first win in six games and Strain is looking to build on that impressive result in Perth.

He said: "It was massive. I think we've been playing well, but just haven't had the results to back it up and to get three points puts us right in the pack and hopefully we can go this Saturday and try to get back-to-back (wins)."

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• Josh Fowler has scored 50% of St Johnstone's Scottish Premiership goals this season (4/8), the highest proportion and total of any player for a particular club.

• Falkirk are winless in five away league outings (D2 L3) since a 3-2 victory at Motherwell in April.

• St Johnstone have failed to keep a clean sheet in their past 12 Scottish Premiership games, including all six this season. It's their longest run without a shutout in the top flight since December 2012 (15).

• This will be the first top-flight meeting between St Johnstone and Falkirk since the 2009-10 season, when the Perth side avoided defeat in all four contests (W2 D2).

• After beating Livingston 2-1 in February, Falkirk could enjoy back-to-back top-flight wins over promoted sides for the first time since November 2007, when they beat Gretna twice in a row.

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Falkirk manager John McGlynn believes goalkeeper Scott Bain is the best suited to become first choice for the national team.

Four-times capped Bain, 34, has returned to the Scotland squad and is one of four keepers named by new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli for his opening games in the Nations League.

"If the manager's going to go and play a style of play that's going to be building from the back, then there's no better goalkeeper in Scotland, or who qualifies for Scotland, than Scott Bain," said Bairns manager McGlynn.

"And he makes saves as well. So he's the real deal for me. I'm delighted for him. He's a great character."

Amy Canavan
BBC Sport Scotland at Falkirk Stadium

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Scott Bain has had worse Tuesdays.

Before a commanding performance between the sticks in the victory against Hearts - Falkirk's first win of the Scottish Premiership season - the goalkeeper was recalled to the Scotland squad by new head coach Sebastien Pocognoli.

"I'm absolutely delighted," the 34-year-old told BBC Scotland. "It's absolutely great. A really, really good day."

Though John McGlynn's side had to wait a little longer than they would have liked for a win in the league, Bain's performances have been solid, hence the shouts for his return to the national team following his omission from the World Cup squad under Steve Clarke.

On Tuesday night, though, he experienced "an easier game" than he's had before, crediting the "outstanding" defence in front of him.

"It was definitely an easier game than some of the games I've had, but I think that was all down to the workrate and effort the players put in," he explained.

"They were absolutely outstanding defensively. We switched off once with Josh McPake and he creates the chance - showing how good a player is - but apart from that, the full-backs and the wingers were excellent in stopping the supply."

Now Bain hopes the Bairns can kickstart their season.

"I just said that in there, I think now it's a chance for us to really kick on," he added.

"It's been a little bit of a stop-start season for us, obviously a lot of change in players, but I think you can see the squad's gelling.

"To get that win, we're absolutely delighted. It was a little bit nervy at the end just because we were desperate to get the monkey off our back."

Next up is a trip to Premiership newcomers St Johnstone on Saturday, and it's only after that Bain will turn his attention to joining up with the Scotland squad.

While McPake - one of seven uncapped players - picked up an assist for Hearts after dominating much of the discourse before the announcement, Bain highlighted the balance required and the need for some regulars to remain.

"I've seen a lot of chatter about people being excited about a new era, but I think it's really important to have the core group who have been mainstays with Scotland," four-cap Bain said.

"They create an excellent atmosphere, they're real quality players and they'll bring these new lads in.

"It'll be great to get away, get together and try and gel as quickly as possible because the games come thick and fast."