Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes believes the Dons have enough quality to cope without their suspended trio in this weekend’s Scottish Cup semi-final against Motherwell.
Shay Logan, Kenny McLean and captain Graeme Shinnie will sit out the Hampden Park showdown on Saturday but McInnes is adamant his squad possesses enough depth to progress to consecutive Scottish Cup finals.
All three have been pivotal figures for the Dons this season but their bans give opportunities for fringe players, such as Dominic Ball and Chidi Nwakali, to make their mark.
There is also the issue of the captaincy to be decided with McInnes to decide who will don the armband in the absence of Shinnie and McLean. Scott McKenna, Andrew Considine and Joe Lewis could all be contenders.
Should Aberdeen make the final, all three would be available to play but McInnes is not making a big deal of their absences ahead of the Motherwell encounter.
McInnes: “We’ve got enough good players that can win and get the job done for us.
“Outwith the Old Firm, most teams could be seen to be restricted and hampered by having three influential players like that out the team. Rangers and Celtic have got the squads to cope with that a bit better but it is what it is. That can’t be the focal point for me in the whole build-up.
“We’ve had to deal without players on league business and still won games. I’d rather focus on the squad and the ones who are available. We’ve got one or two little knocks and little injuries and concerns so it’s not just the three boys who are missing it.
“In training this week we haven’t been able to do too much functional work ahead of the game but hopefully we’ll get a few boys back on Thursday and we can prepare as we normally do before a game.
“Whatever way you shape up the team, whether it’s like for like at right back, or three centre-backs, you’ve got to adapt.
“We’ve been without Shay once or twice this season and a few times over the years but he’s been a regular.
“It’s difficult to replace like for like. We don’t have another Kenny McLean, we don’t have another Graeme Shinnie, we don’t have another Shay Logan – but you have others that can play in those positions.
“Hopefully, we get the balance of the team right that helps us win the game but also makes us difficult to play against.”
Cup countdown, Pages 54, 55