Dundee United are expected to announce the departure of manager Ray McKinnon within the next 48 hours.

It follows Saturday's home defeat to Inverness Caledonian Thistle which left United five points off the top of the Scottish Championship with just five wins from their ten league games this season.

McKinnon has been in charge for 17 months, having taken charge of the club at the end of the 2015/16 campaign after they were relegated to Scotland's second tier under Mixu Paatelainen.

Tasked with bringing them back to the top flight, the 47-year-old came close in his first year in charge, leading them to the Premiership play-off final where they lost to Hamilton Accies in the second leg.

Following a stuttering start to the 2017/18 campaign, however, McKinnon has faced pressure from supporters who are unhappy with the club's league position.

They currently sit fourth in the second tier, behind St Mirren, Dunfermline and Livingston, on 17 points from a possible 30.

United have failed to win more than three consecutive games this season and the defeat to Inverness is expected to be the final straw with McKinnon likely to be sacked from his role before Tuesday.

He would bow out having won 40 of his 71 games in charge. He has drawn 16 and lost 15 since his debut against Arbroath last summer in the League Cup.

Dundee United's next game is away to Dumbarton next weekend.