MCINNES: DON’T END OURCUP DREAMS

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Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes hopes his side’s Scottish Cup dream isn’t kicked into touch by the game’s shutdown.

With Scottish football suspended until further notice as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, it is unclear what the ramifications of a prolonged break would be.

The Dons were due to face Motherwell at Fir Park on Friday night before the SFA and SPFL announced all domestic professional and grassroots football in the country was halted until further notice.

McInnes’ side sit in fourth position in the Scottish Premiership, a point behind Well with eight games remaining, while they were due to face Celtic in the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup at Hampden Park next month.

The Dons boss hopes when play does resume the season be played to a finish, rather than the current campaign being declared null and void.

He said: “I don’t know how they are going to be able to do it but however they do it I do feel the season should be played out and concluded.

“We set out in a competition to decide winners and losers.

“We are in the semi-finals of a cup competition and we want to win a Scottish Cup.

“We are deserving of that chance.

“For sporting integrity and all the rest, the season has to be completed.

“Whether it encroaches and starts to impact next season and the next season becomes a shorter league campaign as a consequence then who knows.

“You can’t start a season and then not finish it and all the effort counted for nothing.

“We have got to finish it whenever we can finish it.

“Whether it is in two weeks or two months or in August, we should conclude this campaign, as difficult as it is going to be for everyone.

“We can’t just write it off.”

The Dons have taken the precautionary measure of shutting their training facility Cormack Park and have told their players to remain at home for the foreseeable future.

McInnes said: “We held a meeting after the game was cancelled.

“All we said to the players was to make sure