McInnes: Dons will have a job on their hands to beat Morton

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has warned his players to be wary of Morton players who will show no fear in today’s Betfred Cup semifinal.

The Dons are favourites to defeat their Championship opponents who are playing in their first national semi-final in 35 years.

Aberdeen go into the match on the back of five straight victories – however McInnes, who played for Morton for seven years before joining Rangers in 1995, does not believe their players will be fazed by the occasion.

He said: “Their manager Jim Duffy has been in a similar situation before and his stamp is all over the team. I can see how organised they are and how bright they are at set-plays.

“They play with a lot of energy and commitment, and I think that’s synonymous with their manager – they’re an extension of him on the pitch.

“Jim will know these opportunities don’t come along too often for any manager or group of players. He and his players will see this as an opportunity, the same as we do.”

Morton were lifted by Saturday’s 5-0 win away to Queen of the South, who are only behind Championship leaders Hibernian on goal difference, but McInnes says his preparations started long before that impressive performance.

He added: “Maybe people from the outside think this game should be straightforward for Aberdeen. We’ve never looked at it like that.

“We’ve been doing our work on Morton for the last few weeks. That result emphasised how good they can be on their day. They’ve also beaten Kilmarnock and Dundee United this season – impressive results.

“The Championship isn’t too far away from the Premiership in terms of quality, and we’ve got a job on our hands to get on top of them and beat them, there’s no doubt about that.”

Dons captain Ryan Jack is back in the squad following a two-month absence through a knee injury after training this week.

McInnes says his team’s recent displays have compensated for his player’s absence and added: “I’m delighted with the form the players have shown.

“When we lost Ryan it was a sore one to take for us and him, because he was in terrific form.”

Defender Ash Taylor remains a doubt after tweaking his thigh in last week’s win over Ross County.