Testing weekend on the cards for Mcinnes

ABERDEEN: Bans and injuries giving boss problems for trip to Motherwell

Aberdeen manager Derek Mcinnes admits tomorrow’s trip to face in-form Motherwell will be a serious test of his managerial qualities amid a shortage of central midfielders.

Mcinnes saw midfielder Lewis Ferguson and striker Curtis Main pick up suspensions to add to his injury crisis when they were both sent off against Hibernian.

The international break has only allowed forward James Wilson to declare himself fit again to face a Motherwell team who sit third in the Ladbrokes Premiership after winning five of their last six games.

Craig Bryson and Stephen Gleeson are both back in training but are not anywhere near 100% fit while Funso Ojo remains out.

That leaves 18-year-olds Dean Campbell and Ethan Ross, fresh from victory for the Scotland under-19s against

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It’s not always easy but you’ve got to try to find a way of still getting results. DEREK MCINNES

Germany, in line to start in the centre of the park.

Mcinnes said: “We have been doing some work on different alternatives and how we can look to play without a fully fit Craig Bryson, a fully fit Stephen Gleeson, without Lewis Ferguson, and Dean has been away.

“Sometimes as a manager it’s easy, you have a full selection to choose from, you are winning games and there’s very rarely any changes and just ‘same again lads, on you go’.

“And there are other times when the injuries start to pile up, certainly in the one area of the pitch, you have to manage the situation.

“It’s not always easy but you’ve got to try to find a way of still getting results and hopefully we can find a way on Saturday, against a good team who are going well.”

Gleeson has done some training sessions this week but has not played all season, while Bryson has only made five appearances since moving from Derby to the Dons as Graeme Shinnie went the other way.

Mcinnes said: “Bryson has done bits and pieces but is still not ruled in for Saturday. He was brought in during the summer to be an important player. We have not had it. We have had it in bits and pieces and never really had him at 100%.”