Dundee boss Paul Hartley has warned that Paul McGowan may not feature in any of the team's remaining six games this season because he fears playing the troubled midfielder could see him break his police curfew and end up in prison. After his third conviction last week for assaulting a police officer, McGowan escaped a jail sentence but was placed under a restriction of liberty order and confined to his home from 7pm to 7am for 16 weeks. That has already ruled him out of the evening matches with Celtic at Dens Park on Wednesday and at Parkhead on Friday May 1, but Hartley fears that even playing in the three remaining games in the City of Discovery, which kick off at 3pm, could leave the player at risk of breaching his order. Dundee rogue Paul McGowan has been handed his third conviction after assaulting a police officer . Dundee manager Paul Hartley says he will not risk playing the troubled midfielder again this season . Hartley is worried that if McGowan was, for example, called up for after-match drug testing, required hospital treatment for an injury or was caught in traffic on the 80-mile journey back to his home in Coatbridge, he would run perilously close to his 7pm curfew. And he admits the only game in which McGowan would be able to safely feature is the final-day derby at Tannadice which kicks off at 12.30pm on May 24, but even then he may not be risked. 'Paul McGowan is available for selection but there is no guarantee he will play,' conceded Hartley yesterday. 'He has a curfew and we don't want him to break it. 'This is something I will need to look at between now and the end of the season. And we need to look at all aspects of this - where he is playing, what time he will leave after the match, travelling times and whether he gets an injury. 'There are all sorts of things that could happen. Heavy traffic, or his car could break down, or he could be called in for drug testing - which can often take a long time. 'Paul stays in the central belt so there are times when the journey could take longer than an hour and a half. And the last thing we want to see is Paul getting into trouble because he misses his time zone. 'The last game of the season is definitely one he can play in because of the early kick off. We've not asked (the courts) for any special dispensation. But it's something we might look at.' McGowan has been fitted with an electronic tag on his ankle and, if selected by Hartley, it's understood the match-day referee would need to inspect the device before each game to ensure there are no health and safety risks. Law 4 in the Laws of the Game states: 'A player must not use equipment or wear anything that is dangerous to himself or another player (including any kind of jewellery).' Hartley said: 'There's been a suggestion that he can't play with the current tag he has got but I am sure he could. I've seen it happen before in English football and it's something we've been looking into. We are just waiting for confirmation.' Meanwhile, Dundee have agreed a pre-contract to sign Aberdeen midfielder Nicky Low on a three-year deal. The 23-year-old had been a peripheral figure at Pittodrie. Dons boss Derek McInnes told the Aberdeen official website: 'The option to sign an extended contract with a fellow Premiership club was one which Nicky felt he couldn't turn down.' McGowan goes in with a high challenge on St Johnstone's Simon Lappin (right) at McDiarmid Park .
Paul McGowan is currently on house arrest for assaulting a police officer.
The Dundee midfielder has been ruled out of evening matches for his club.
Boss Paul Hartley says he will not risk playing McGowan again this season.