Boss Jimmy Thelin has urged Aberdeen to embrace the pressure during a crunch run of Premiership fixtures.
The Dons have shaken up the Scottish football status quo with a sensational 11-game unbeaten start to the league campaign, with 10 wins.
Thelin’s in-form Reds have kept the pressure on Celtic and are level on points at the top of the table with the defending Premiership champions.
Aberdeen’s unbeaten form will be tested in a tough run of fixtures, starting with an away triple-header across just eight days.
The Reds kick-start their away days with a clash at St Mirren on Saturday, before facing Hibs and Hearts in Edinburgh.
Aberdeen then host Celtic in a top-of-the-table showdown under the lights Pittodrie on Wednesday, December 4.
As wintry weather grips Scotland, the Dons boss is confident his team can handle the heat of a make or break run of fixtures.
Thelin said: “We always have pressure in some way and it’s the way of football.
“I think that’s a good thing.
“It is a part of competition and it is not a pressure that we feel is negative.”
‘You learn to know your players’
Thelin has successfully used substitutions this season with many coming off the bench to make game-changing contributions.
That was the case in the 4-1 win against Dundee prior to the international break.
Striker Kevin Nisbet and Vicente Besuijen came off the bench in the second half and both scored.
Thelin accepts he will have to utilise the full depth of his squad during the run of four matches in only 11 days.
He said: “You learn to know your players and how they can cope with this intensity.
“That’s why you have a squad.
“We have a good squad and players with different qualities.
“However, we always try to be game by game.
“We’re also going to play against different opponents.
“So we have to find a solution to win that specific game with the different qualities the players have.”
Thelin ice cool amid winter blast
Aberdeen has been battered by snow and sub zero temperatures this week.
However, Thelin says the adverse weather did not dent preparations for the clash against St Mirren.
He said: “The staff here have done really well and there has been no interruption in the training as the pitches are really good.
“We were able to prepare as usual and have good sessions, even if there was snow and wind.”
Midfielder Dante Polvara to end four-month injury nightmare
American midfielder Dante Polvara will return from a four-month injury layoff against St Mirren.
Polvara suffered a hamstring tear during pre-season training in July that required surgery.
The game in Paisley against St Mirren will be the first time the 24-year-old has been available for a match-day squad under Thelin.
Thelin said: “Dante is back in the squad.
“Dante has trained well and it is good to have his quality.
“We will travel with a 21-player squad so let’s see which ones we choose in the last call.
“Now we have a quite intense period, so it’s good to have as many players as possible available.
“And they have also different qualities and to keep the intensity high inside the team, and make some changes when we can.”
Midfield duo set to return to action
Midfielder Jamie McGrath is also set to return after missing the win against Dundee having undergone minor facial surgery.
The surgery was required to fix an issue after McGrath suffered a clash of heads with Ross County goalkeeper Kacper Lopata in a 1-0 away win on August 31.
McGrath was forced off in the first half in Dingwall and taken straight to hospital.
Midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen will also return after missing the Dundee clash due to illness.
Attacker Pape Gueye is sidelined until early in the new year with a quad muscle tear.
Thelin said: “Angus (MacDonald) has a small issue so he won’t be in the squad.
“Otherwise everybody is available, except Pape.”
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