Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes expects his players to fight to the end as they close in on a European place.
Victory for the Dons against St Johnstone on Saturday will secure a place in the Europa League. But if Aberdeen can finish second it will mean their season starts on July 17 rather than July 3 and McInnes and his players are determined to avoid an early start.
He said: “These players are fighting for the ball and covering every inch of the pitch and I know they will continue to do that in the final four games.
“We’re still three points clear with a game less to play and all we can do is take care of our own business. I’m confident we have the squad and the players who can win games in the remaining matches of the season.
“We’ve got complete focus on the league campaign and we are energised for the remaining games. It’s important we finish positively.
“There is a lot dependent on our fixtures and we will go right to the end to bring European football back to the club. We will do all we can to make it happen.”
The Dons host St Johnstone, who ended their hopes of reaching the Scottish Cup final with victory in the semi-final on April 13, at Pittodrie on Saturday and McInnes expects another competitive game like the goalless draw at Inverness last Friday.
He said: “We’re at the stage of the season where there are no surprises when teams face each other. We’ve done well against Saints this season but all the games have been fiercely competitive.
“It’s a measure of how far we’ve come that we can lose one game to Caley Thistle this season, take four points from two visits there and still come away disappointed.”
Ryan Jack will return from suspension for the visit of the Saints, while Jonny Hayes suffered no reaction to his hour of action against the Highlanders.
Hayes has been out with a fractured collarbone since March 16.
McInnes said: “In an ideal world Jonny would have had six weeks to recover and there is a chance if he lands on a certain spot it could go again. But that same chance exists once it has fully healed, so it doesn’t matter if we wait. We are a better team when he is in it.”