Dons ready for huge challenge

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes insists his players are ready for their toughest challenge when treble winners Celtic visit Pittodrie tomorrow.

The two unbeaten Premiership teams go head to head in a top-of-the-table encounter and the Dons have to end the Hoops’ 60-game unbeaten domestic record and beat Brendan Rodgers’ side if they are to go top of the league.

McInnes knows it is a huge challenge but one he and his players are ready for.

The Aberdeen manager said: “I’m sure it will be a full house and it should be as it is a game between two teams who are doing particularly well.

“Celtic are the team everybody has to try to beat. They’ve been fantastic for some time now and to remain domestically unbeaten shows the size of the task we face.

“It’s no mean feat on their part but regardless of whether it is the team at the top or the bottom we have to be happy with our own performance and we’ll be trying to win.”

The task facing the Dons is a formidable one but McInnes has pointed to the form of his own side as evidence they are capable of causing the champions problems.

He said: “There will be times when we need to defend well but three clean sheets in the last three games have given us confidence.”

Defender Andy Considine is back in the squad following a wrist injury while Greg Tansey also returns following a hernia operation.

Derek McInnes: confidence boosted by run of clean sheets.