Aberdeen Women co-boss Emma Hunter admits injuries to her key players are a ‘massive blow’ to the SWPL 1 side.
Francesca Ogilvie came off injured against Celtic last Sunday, and left Balmoral Stadium on crutches, while Eilidh Shore sustained a knock the week prior against Motherwell.
The extent of Ogilvie’s injury, a torn hamstring, means she will be unavailable for selection for the next four to six weeks.
It’s a disappointing outcome for Hunter and Ogilvie, who has been a key player for the Dons as of late – having scored nine goals in all competitions this far in the season.
With her return looking like it could be near the end of the season, Hunter admits she’s a player that the squad will undoubtedly miss.
She said: “It’s a massive blow to us, but that’s football unfortunately.
“Players getting injured is something you’ve just got to contend with.
“But Francesca has really been in form recently.
“She’s been scoring a lot of our goals and creating chances; she always offers something going forward.
“Francesca is a character in the team that we’ll miss.”
But even though Ogilvie won’t be able to make an impact on the pitch, Hunter says the club will support her and help her contribute from the sidelines.
The co-boss added: “This will be a big test for Francesca, it’s always difficult to deal with an injury like that.
“It’s hard on your wellbeing and the mental side of the game.
“Like any player who is injured, they should still feel like they’re contributing to the squad, so Francesca will still be in about the team at training and on match-days.
“She’s someone that’s always been quite vocal, and wants to be a leader within the team.
“I know she’s got all the qualities to get through this tough period, and still contribute to this team.”
A potential return for Shore
Shore’s injury first looked like a knock from the result of a poor tackle from Motherwell’s Carla Boyce, but it looks to have worsened to an internal muscle injury.
Aberdeen’s last two games, against Glasgow City and Celtic, are the first fixtures this season that Shore has not had any minutes on the pitch.
Being another key player for the Dons, her contribution has been missed – but she could be in line to return this weekend against Partick Thistle.
“We’re still evaluating Eilidh, we’re hopeful that she might available on Sunday,” Hunter explained.
“Early evaluations are she’s not quite ready to get back into full training, but she’s three quarters of the way through her rehabilitation process.
“She’s making good progress.”
And while Hunter might hope to have Shore back in the squad, she will be weighing up whether it’s worth risking her return.
She added: “It’s really important that we don’t rush the players back too early either.
“But equally, we know the value of our top players.
“We’re always trying to get that back on the pitch, that’s just part of trying to win games.
“It’s a fine balance, the coaching staff and physio will have discussions about it, and we’ll make sure we get the decision right on Sunday.”