Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes insists it is premature to talk of Sunday’s match at champions Celtic being a title decider for his team.
Just three points separate the Dons and the league leading Hoops, who have played a game fewer than Aberdeen.
Eleven matches will remain following Sunday’s encounter and McInnes has refused to give the game added significance.
He said: “Must-win games come after the split as far as I am concerned and while Sunday is another big game it’s still the same three points which were on offer for beating St Mirren on Saturday. That’s how we have to approach it.
“The players have shown plenty of belief throughout the recent run in the league and that will continue on Sunday and in the games afterwards. There was a lot of talk about the Celtic game before we played St Mirren on Saturday and it would have been easy for the players to take their eye off the ball, but they handled it well.
“We were stronger than St Mirren and our appetite was excellent, that will continue to be the case regardless of what happens on Sunday. There is still an opportunity for us to be successful and that’s what we are focusing on.”
While the Hoops fly out to Milan today for the second leg of their Europa League tie against Inter the Dons have the benefit of having the whole week to prepare for noon kick-off in Glasgow.
The Hoops return to Scotland on Friday, giving them just two days to prepare, but McInnes does not expect fatigue to be a factor.
He is more concerned his players perform at the level they are capable of with the injury-time defeat to the 10-man Hoops on November 9, Aberdeen’s last league defeat, is still a cause of great consternation at the club.
He said: “Celtic’s focus, understandably, is on the game in Milan on Thursday, but the players are well used to readjusting their sights so I don’t think there will be a huge advantage for us. I expect Sunday’s game to be just as tight as the last one was, but our plan is to come out on top this time.
“Our performance at Pittodrie was good and that’s why we were kicking ourselves we lost the game.
“We were guilty of a lack of concentration at the corner for the winning goal and we will have to defend better at set pieces this time if we want a better result.
“But we can take encouragement from the fact we were the better side for long periods of that match.”