The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
McInnes full of praise for Dons board over testing regime
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has thanked the Dons board for going the extra mile to ensure players are able to train safely at the club.
Testing is not compulsory for players during the non-contact phase of training but the Dons manager has been allowed to put testing protocols in place for his squad since they returned for pre-season training last week.
The additional expense is one which could have been avoided until contact training is permitted but McInnes has thanked the club for ensuring his players feel safe as they build up towards the new season on August 1.
The Dons boss said: “Not every club is doing the testing at the minute because it is not compulsory. But certainly here we want to make sure we safeguard the players.
“We are confident in this environment we are keeping the players safe and the measures we are taking are the right ones.
“There is obviously a financial output to cover that and we are grateful that the club have seen the importance of it.”
Adam Stokes, head of medical and sport science at the club, has played an integral role in ensuring the protocols are followed at Cormark Park and McInnes is impressed by the regime Stokes has put in place.
He said: “Adam has been part of the working group with the SFA and I have been keeping in touch with him throughout.
“We had reservations of what it was going to be like in the first few days. However, Adam, the whole medical team, the club, support staff here and everyone is doing all they can to keep this place safe.”
McInnes is waiting for approval to organise friendlies for July and the Dons boss insists warm-up matches are an integral part of the preparation process for every club.
He said: “We don’t know how pre-season games look yet.
“There is a working group to get return to play at the minute and we are looking to see how that looks.
“Travelling together on coaches, sitting in the same dressing room – all these things have to be looked at.”