Aberdeen interim manager Neil Warnock insists other players at the club need to take the goal burden off leading scorer Bojan Miovski – and he believes Duk is the man to do it.
Miovski and Duk scored 18 goals apiece in a successful first season together for the club, but this term has been a different story.
While Miovski has streaked clear of last season’s tally by hitting 22 goals already for the campaign, Duk has contributed just five goals to date.
Cape Verde international Duk was the subject of bids from Leganes of Spain and a Dutch club on deadline day, but the Dons rejected both offers.
Warnock has been impressed by Duk since arriving on February 5, and the interim boss believes he can help get the former Benfica striker back to his best.
He said: “He knows he is here now the window has been closed.
“He might have had bad advice before I came in.
“He is training really well.
“I think you have to put your arm round – he is a genuine kid and I am sure between now and the end of the season he will score a few goals.
“Some of the things he does in training are amazing. Let’s hope he can do that on the pitch.”
‘We definitely need more scoring than poor old Bojan’
Warnock takes charge of his first home league game on Wednesday when the Dons welcome Motherwell to Pittodrie.
Victory will move Aberdeen up two places to seventh in the Scottish Premiership, and Warnock believes it is time for others at the club to lighten the load on leading scorer Miovski.
He said: “It is much of a muchness. All the clubs have really good players in certain areas and it is all about who turns up on a night.
“Who can create more? We definitely need more scoring than poor old Bojan.
“He can’t keep pulling us through – we need to try and find goals from somewhere else.”
Dons short in key areas
Increasing the goal return is not an easy task for a side who have struggled creatively this season.
Aberdeen are the fourth-lowest scoring side in the Premiership with 26 goals from 23 matches, and Warnock believes his squad is unevenly balanced.
He said: “I think the squad is short in one or two areas if I am being honest. We can’t really think like that.
“We have to use the players we have to try and get results.
“I don’t think it is fair to say where (we are short) publicly when we have lads here who play in that position.
“I would imagine before the end of the season I am sure Alan Burrows and Dave Cormack will have a discussion with me, and I will be as honest as I can with them.
“To be fair, we have an abundance of midfield players.
“It is other areas where we need bodies. You have a choice when everybody is fit in that midfield area.”
Warnock’s goalkeeper dilemma
The Dons interim manager also has a decision to make on which goalkeeper starts against the Steelmen – after Roos Doohan kept a clean sheet on his first start for the club in Saturday’s 2-0 Scottish Cup win over Bonnyrigg Rose.
Warnock said: “Ross did okay and didn’t make any mistakes. You will need to wait and see.
“I like the third keeper Tom Ritchie as well – I would like to get him out on loan to get experience.”
Centre-back Richard Jensen will be assessed after limping off against Bonnyrigg, while left-back James McGarry could return from his hamstring injury against Hibernian on Saturday.
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