Aberdeen captain Russell Anderson may have to wait until the end of the season to find out if he will be given another year at Pittodrie.
The 35-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the current campaign, has made 35 appearances for the Dons this season and was instrumental in helping deliver the club’s first trophy for 19 years in March’s League Cup success.
But Dons manager Derek McInnes says Anderson, who is in his second spell with the Dons, may have to wait until the end of the season to discover if he has done enough to earn a new deal.
McInnes said: “I have had a good chat with Russell and we will continue to talk over the rest of the season. I will speak to him and see what his thoughts are.
“Russell can hold his head high the way he has performed this season. He has played more than people have anticipated and he has been a real solid fixture for us. He is a really dependable guy and he epitomises what you want from your senior players.
“But there is still so much to play for this season and we have to be responsible and concentrate on that. We will deal with what needs to be dealt with after that.”
Meanwhile, McInnes has voiced concerns about forward Niall McGinn’s potential involvement in Northern Ireland’s upcoming friendlies in South America – against Uruguay on May 30 and Chile on June 4.
Should the Dons qualify for the Europa League they will face their first qualifying leg on July 3 if they finish third or July 17 should they secure second.
And Aberdeen manager McInnes would prefer to have one of his key players resting up after a long season rather than travelling to South America.
McInnes said: “It would be better for me if Niall managed to get a proper rest through the summer.
“I know it would be a good experience but I think the rest would be more beneficial than playing and travelling all the way to South America.”