Boss Stephen Glass believes ‘pure leader’ Scott Brown can provide the answer to Aberdeen’s defensive injury crisis.
The 36-year-old midfielder operated as a stand-in centre-back in the 2-2 draw with Rangers at Ibrox.
Glass fielded Brown in a makeshift back-line due to the injury absence of defenders Calvin Ramsay, Jack MacKenzie, Declan Gallagher and Andy Considine.
Ramsay, MacKenzie and Gallagher recently picked up injuries and will miss the upcoming games against Hearts and Motherwell before the international break.
Glass fears the trio could be sidelined beyond that.
Considine is out until the new year following cruciate ligament surgery in August.
Glass hailed Brown’s contribution at the back at Ibrox as the Dons came close to defeating the defending Premiership champions and league leaders.
Asked if centre-back could be a position for Brown going forward, Glass said: “At the moment it might be, because we haven’t got any choice.
“Scott gives us the option as well that we can actually push him into midfield depending on the players you have on the pitch and change shape without making a sub.
“Scott tactically knows when to step in a little bit, although there wasn’t much stepping in at Ibrox because of how much possession they had.”
Brown produced an impressive display in defence and also pitched in with Aberdeen’s second goal with a diving header in the 16th minute to stun Rangers.
The influence of ‘pure leader’ Scott Brown
The midfielder played in between centre-backs Ross McCrorie and Scotland international David Bates.
Brown rejected the offer of a new contract at Parkhead to sign on at Aberdeen in the summer in a player-coach role, and Glass believes the veteran is showing why he is such a key signing.
Glass said: “Scott is a pure leader.
“He has played out of position for us in the last game-and-a-half.
“Scott has been showing what he is capable of and showing why he is at this club.
“He is showing what he has been for the last 15 to 20 years.”
Disappointed to draw at league leaders
Aberdeen were 2-0 up inside the 16 minutes courtesy of goals from Christian Ramirez and Brown.
Rangers were rocked and the Dons were on course to secure a memorable win until referee John Beaton wrongly awarded a penalty in the 81st minute after David Bates and Fashion Sakala came together in the box.
The spot-kick was converted by James Tavernier.
Glass hailed his depleted backline and insists his side deserved a win.
He said: “Defensively as a group the boys were brilliant and they deserved to come away with three points, despite not having a lot of possession.
“They were brave on the ball and still carried a threat right to the end.
“When you have a group of players sitting in the dressing room disappointed to have got a point at Ibrox, it tells you what the group believe they have got.”
‘We have players who can score goals’
Glass was frustrated that both Rangers goals stemmed from contentious decisions by referee John Beaton as the Dons were denied a memorable victory.
The opener came from a soft free-kick – which Lewis Ferguson was booked for protesting – and the leveller stemmed from Beaton’s contentious decision to award a penalty.
Glass said: “We got off to a great start and showed the belief we have when we go forward.
“We have players who can score goals.
“In terms of being resilient at the other end, I think we were.
“It is disappointing that the goals went in the way they did, because we deserved more.
“We have been on a run where we didn’t get what we deserved and that continued a little bit at Ibrox.
“Hopefully we will get what we deserve on Saturday (against Hearts) if we put in that type of performance.”