‘Real blows’ as Dons’ injury crisis mounts
Derek McInnes was disappointed to drop points at home to St Johnstone but serious injuries to Craig Bryson, Funso Ojo and Jon Gallagher made it a really depressing day for the Aberdeen manager.
Bryson was forced off in the second half of the draw with an ankle injury while Ojo was replaced after feeling tightness in both hamstrings.
Atlanta United’s on-loan midfielder Gallagher was the worst off though as the substitute was taken to hospital with a suspected broken tibia.
Of course central defenders Ash Taylor and Scott McKenna are already out long term, while Scott Wright’s season was ended when the winger ruptured his cruciate knee ligament in training.
McInnes said: “Both Bryson and Ojo are concerns. Jon Gallagher has hurt himself in a challenge with Gordon and is on his way to hospital now.
“He has a problem with his tibia. We’re getting it x-rayed. He was struggling after a collision with Liam Gordon that to have any real impact on the game. That one doesn’t good.
“Bryson doesn’t look great at the minute either. Ojo we need to wait and see how that settles.
“Off the back of Scott Wright’s injury this week these are real blows as he and Gal can play central.”
The other concern for McInnes was a sense of deja vu after watching his side fall out of the game after dominating up until Michael O’Halloran’s 43rd-minute equaliser.
Ryan Hedges’ goal in 28 minutes was expected to spark a third successive home league win for a Dons side which has won twice in the Premiership at Pittodrie in the last five months of last season.
Instead they could have ended up with nothing if referee Steven McLean hadn’t changed his decision to award the visitors a second-half penalty.
McInnes was happy with that but not much else as he said: “It was the right decision. We don’t need VAR we just need a good linesman as I couldn’t believe the referee gave the penalty but we got to the right decision. But it was disappointing from a winning position and having been so good for 42 minutes that we haven’t gone on to win the game.
“We have allowed an equalising goal that was similar to last season that gave them a lot of encouragement as we were dominant with our play at that point.
“They were giving me everything I wanted and we should have gone on to win from that position but we allowed them to counter on us and get a weak shot into the net.
“Losing that type of goal is not good enough.”