Derek McInnes has been left fuming as three of his Aberdeen players are ruled out the trip to Rangers.
The Dons will travel to face Rangers without seven key players. Already missing the likes of Jonny Hayes and Marley Watkins through injury, another two miss out through Covid-19 isolation measures.
The Rangers trip won’t be one Ferguson is on. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)
Lewis Ferguson and Connor McLennan have been put into isolation after an outbreak of the virus in the Scotland U21s camp they were part of this week. Teammate at Pittodrie and Rangers loanee Ross McCrorie has tested positive.
But he was already missing for the match as Rangers are his parent club. Regardless, the situation has left McInnes reeling.
“We’re obviously very angry and disappointed,” said McInnes. “We’re all doing all we can to avoid catching this virus and you’d like to think when your players go away they go through the same protocols and what we do is replicated when they go away with their country.
Fuming. (Photo by Craig Williamson/SNS Group via Getty Images)
“But we don’t think that’s been the case. Even when they delivered the news today there’s no apology, there is no remorse or disappointment – we just have to deal with it. Thanks for giving us your players, you deal with it now.
“That lack of communication is really poor. You’d also expect that when they’re with the SFA, they’re with their country so they’ll be getting looked after. But I don’t believe it’s been the case based on the fact we’ve now had two players affected by this with negative tests.
His side are now handicapped away to Rangers. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
“We’ll be looking for assurances that this won’t be repeated. A member of staff tested positive last Sunday and I’d like to think that they were tested again before they flew out the country . My players sat where they were told to on coaches and aeroplanes when they were away so this isn’t my players going into other players’ rooms – they did what they were told.
“I’m now without three players through no fault of our own after they went and represented their country. The SFA last tested the players last Sunday and I don’t think it’s always the case that the clubs then test their players so it’s not the club’s fault.
“But they can use that negative test from the Sunday, still travel to Greece, still fly around Europe and then play the game on a Saturday. We only found out at lunchtime Saturday but it still impacts on our preparations because we had to push back training.
Training impact. (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images)
“So we’re now heading to Glasgow without two players who would’ve been playing and three players missing for the next 3 games. We’re extremely disappointed that we’re now without three very good players for the next three games through no fault of their own and we’re extremely angry about that.”