Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass will step up his assessment of the squad in training this week as he plans for a summer rebuild.
The disappointment of exiting the Scottish Cup remains raw, despite rallying with a 2-1 defeat of Livingston to secure qualification to the Uefa Conference League.
Aside from the agony of another bid for silverware gone, an unwanted by-product of the quarter-final loss to Dundee United is Aberdeen are inactive at the weekend.
As St Mirren, St Johnstone, Hibs and Dundee United ready for the semi-finals at Hampden, the Dons have an empty calendar with no game until the must-win Premiership clash with the Hibees on Wednesday May 12.
Glass will make the most of that unwanted free week by further assessing his players at the Cormack Park training complex.
Since his arrival, this is the first week the opportunity has been afforded to Glass to rack up a run of training days without full focus being on an upcoming game.
Players will be under the microscope this week as Glass wants key questions answered as he looks to identify players who will be part of his squad next season.
Six players are out of contract at the end of the season, while another four have short-term loan deals set to expire.
https://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/fp/sport/football/aberdeen-fc/donsnews/retain-or-release-decision-time-looming-for-aberdeen-boss-stephen-glass-on-the-eight-out-of-contract-players/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social
However, every player is being watched.
Glass said: “We are continually assessing the group that is here.
“A lot of that has been in the games, because of the lack of training time we have had with the group.
“Unfortunately, because there is no Scottish Cup semi-final this week, we will be able to do a bit more assessment.
“In a way we can really get our eyes on the players in a different environment rather than just planning for games.”
The six players with contracts set to expire are Ash Taylor, Tommie Hoban, Niall McGinn, Greg Leigh, Mikey Devlin and Ethan Ross.
Four players also have loan deals coming to an end – strikers Florian Kamberi (St Gallen), Fraser Hornby (Stade de Reims), Callum Hendry (St Johnstone) and keeper Gary Woods (Oldham Athletic).
No.2 keeper Woods has started the last two games as captain Joe Lewis was ruled out with a rib injury.
Woods’ will be a free agent in the summer as his deal with Oldham expires and it is understood Glass is keen to sign him.
Two players are also out on loan with Aberdeen contracts set to expire – Shay Logan (Hearts) and Bruce Anderson (Hamilton).
It is understood Glass is keen to retain Anderson, who has had a successful loan spell at relegation battling Hamilton.
Logan started Hearts final five games of the season to help them win the Championship title, but Tynecastle boss Robbie Neilson has confirmed a permanent contract will not be offered to the veteran right-back.
Logan had made just three starts for the Dons this season before joining Hearts on loan until the end of their season on March 29.
How is their behaviour?
“How can they play?
“How can they handle things?
“With the way we want to do things, can these guys be part of that?”
Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass
From Saturday’s defeat of Livingston to the top-three showdown with Hibs on Wednesday, Glass has a 10-day window on the training pitch.
It will be invaluable to the 44-year-old.
He said: “As a coaching staff we are looking, under a microscope almost, at the players.
“How is their behaviour?
“How can they play?
“How can they handle things?
“With the way we want to do things, can these guys be part of that?
“That is the evaluation that is going on at the moment.”
Glass has room to manoeuvre in the summer transfer window because so many players are out of contract or have loan deals expiring.
It offers him considerable leeway in the window.
He said: “There are a good number of players out of contract and that gives you a starting point that we don’t have to get rid of people that are under contract.
“We have the option of how we want to approach it.
“These guys also have a great opportunity to show why they should still be here while we get the chance to assess them as well.
“So it is a two-way street, but we also have a base to work in terms of bringing new people in.”
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.