Aberdeen stopper hits out at SFA protocols
ABERDEEN goalkeeper Joe Lewis has hit out at the SFA after the Dons were forced to do without midfielders Ross McCrorie and Lewis Ferguson and striker Connor McLennan for the 4- 0 defeat by Rangers on Sunday and Wednesday’s 1- 1 draw at Hamilton.
McCrorie tested positive for Covid- 19 after being away with Scotland’s Under- 21 side last week and international teammates Ferguson and McLennan have also had to self- isolate after being regarded as close contacts.
All three will also miss tomorrow’s BetFred Cup tie against St Mirren in Paisley as a result and Lewis believes that the national association has failed in its duty of care for those players.
“It’s very disappointing,” said Lewis, a Welsh international. “The club do absolutely everything to the letter at the training ground. Everyone is in different changing rooms and there are individual seats in the dining room.
“Everything is done properly so that, if one person contracts Covid, no- one else has to isolate. It’s credit to the club and [ director of football operations] Steven Gunn, who have put those procedures in place. You hope that’s being done elsewhere but it obviously wasn’t [ in this instance], which is disappointing.
“We went down to Hamilton in two buses – you want everyone to be together but we’ve incurred the extra expense so everyone can be two metres away from each other. It’s disappointing [ that Aberdeen are still without the trio] but it’s up to the players that come in to deal with it.
“Everyone has said how strong our squad is – it’s up to us to show that now.”