DONS DO THE RIGHT THING BY HOBAN

TOMMIE HOBAN is back training with Aberdeen, but Derek McInnes admits the club can’t afford to sign the former Watford defender. Financial restrictions caused by the coronavirus shutdown means all the Dons boss can do is honour a commitment to the player to help him recover full fitness. Hoban suffered the second cruciate ligament injury of his career while on loan at Pittodrie in February last year. He has been sidelined since then and was released by the English Premier League side last summer. Now the aim is to aid his recovery in an effort to find him another club, but McInnes insists it will not be Aberdeen. ‘Tommie is up here for us to fulfil our commitment to get the boy fit,’ he said. ‘We are well aware that, under the current restrictions, we can’t sign players. This can’t be seen as us looking to sign Tommie. ‘All we are trying to do is offer him the medical facilities and the opportunity to finish his rehab because he got injured playing in an Aberdeen shirt and we feel responsible. ‘Tommie was up with us before the season was curtailed and we just wanted to continue that really because we feel it is the right thing to do. It is good to have him back and he will be with the physios for the next week or so and hopefully he will start to make progress towards his rehabilitation.’ Meanwhile, McInnes is determined to ensure his players are match-fit for next month’s kick-off with a series of friendlies against Premiership rivals over the next few weeks. ‘We have put in for four just now and we have one weekend which we may or may not use,’ he said. ‘We hope to get an XI v XI game at Pittodrie amongst ourselves in full match conditions. ‘We need at least four or five games before the season starts. It is important we have some competitive element.’