Aberdeen defender Liam Scales admits his future is “out of my hands” with his loan deal set to expire at the end of the season.
Scales is set to return to parent club Celtic in the summer and accepts the Premiership leaders are in control of where he will be next season.
It is understood Aberdeen are keen to secure Scales on a permanent long-term contract.
Aberdeen attempted to sign Scales on a permanent contact last summer, but Celtic were not willing to sell the defender.
A season-long loan deal was the only way the Reds could get the left-sided centre-back to Pittodrie.
The 24-year-old is contracted to Celtic until summer 2025, having signed for £500,000 from Shamrock Rovers in 2021.
Scales has been at the heart of Aberdeen’s defensive revival of late, with five clean sheets in the last six games – all wins.
Aberdeen will bid for a seventh straight victory when hosting second-placed Rangers at Pittodrie on Sunday.
On his future, Scales said: “I am only looking towards the end of the season.
“I will need to report back to Celtic and see what the story is from there.
“They are in control of all that.
“It is out of my hands.”
Recent clean sheet run a ‘team effort’
Scales made eight starts for Celtic last season with a further five appearances off the bench.
This season the defender has started 33 games for the Dons with one further appearance as a substitute.
He will be unavailable to face parent club Celtic in the Premiership top-six post-split fixture due to the terms of his loan agreement.
Aberdeen’s defensive three of Scales, Mattie Pollock and Angus MacDonald have delivered clean sheets during the Reds’ revival in form.
But all three centre-backs will not be at Pittodrie next season, as things stand.
Secured late in the January transfer window, Pollock is on loan from English Championship Watford until the end of the season.
MacDonald signed on transfer deadline day on a short-term deal which expires at the conclusion of the campaign.
Scales insists the new defensive solidity is down to the entire team, not just the back three.
He said: “It doesn’t just come from the back line.
“It comes from further up the pitch with the amount the midfielders who are running to close people down and prevent us from having to defend deeper.
“The two front men as well (Duk and Bojan Miovski) – they press high and the midfielders cover all over the place. The distances (Graeme) Shinnie and (Ylber) Ramadani cover is amazing.
“It is a whole team effort, it doesn’t just come from the back three, keeper and wing-backs.”
Confidence high for Rangers clash
The in-form Dons are now five points clear in third spot in the Premiership following a run of six consecutive victories.
Next up for the Reds is Sunday’s home clash with Rangers.
Aberdeen have suffered late heartache against the Ibrox club in their previous two head-to-heads.
In December, the Dons were leading 2-1 at Pittodrie before a late capitulation saw them concede twice in injury time to lose 3-2.
The Dons also took Rangers to extra-time in the League Cup semi-final, but were edged out 2-1, at Hampden in January.
Scales said: “We have shown we can do well against Rangers.
“I think we can get a result this time.
“They are obviously a top side and are clear in second.
“It is a big ask, but the run we are on gives us confidence that we can get points off them.
“The confidence is just sky-high and that is the difference at the moment.
“We started so well then had a big drop off after the World Cup break.
“We had a few tough fixtures in a row, plus we were unlucky and also poor at times.
“It has completely turned around again and this is now the best run of form that we’ve had all season – we are where we want to be.”
The impact of ‘brilliant’ striker Duk
Aberdeen’s defenders are in form with only one goal conceded in the six-game winning run.
However, the attack are also delivering, particularly red-hot striker Duk.
Cape Verde international Duk netted the winner in the 1-0 defeat of Ross County to take his tally for the season to 18.
The 23-year-old, signed from Benfica last summer, has scored six goals in the previous five Premiership games.
Scales said: “He can’t stop scoring – it is brilliant.
“Duk works so hard and is modest. He is a great guy who can finish.
“Duk and Bojan (Miovski) work brilliantly together.
“We are scoring goals and keeping clean sheets, which is a great combination.”
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