Do not underestimate off-form Killie, McInnes warns his Dons

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has warned his players not to take Kilmarnock lightly despite the Ayrshire side’s poor start to the season.

The Dons travel to Rugby Park tomorrow with both teams upbeat after ending three-game losing streaks with a Betfred Cup win on their last outing.

Killie are in a period of transition following the departure of manager Steve Clarke to take the Scotland job at the end of last season.

New boss Angelo Alessio endured an unconvincing start to life at Rugby Park, falling at the first hurdle of the Europa League qualifiers against Connah’s Quay Nomads.

That was followed by league defeats against Rangers and Hamilton but Killie bounced back on Saturday with a 1-0 Betfred Cup win against Hamilton.

Dons manager McInnes says there is no chance his side will underestimate the team that pipped the Dons to third place last season.

He said: “The nucleus of that squad is still there.

“When any new manager comes in, whether he is from abroad or not, it is about trying to implement your ideas and getting them across to the team.

“There is no doubting that there has been hints of similarities from last season’s style in recent weeks.”

Dons midfielder Craig Bryson is hoping to make his third appearance for the Reds against his former club.

The three-times capped Scotland international spent four years at Kilmarnock before moving to Derby County in 2011.

It was reported that Bryson was offered a pre-contract deal to move back to Killie in the summer with his Derby contract set to expire but the midfielder opted to join the Dons.

An ankle injury has disrupted Bryson’s start to life at Pittodrie but the 32-year-old played more than an hour in Sunday’s 2-1 Betfred Cup win against Dundee before being replaced.

McInnes said: “He has had 65 minutes in Georgia (against Chikhura Sachkhere in the Europa League) and in the game on Sunday.

“He hasn’t had much game time over the last three or four months so we are going to have to keep trying to get the minutes into him until he gets his match fitness.

“We don’t expect him to be 100% at the minute.

“We are working towards that and having him back available is brilliant.”