Aberdeen midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen looks to be facing weeks out due to a freak training ground injury.
The summer signing from SK Brann has missed the last two matches – the Scottish Cup quarter-final win against Queen’s Park and the goalless league draw with St Johnstone, due to an eye injury suffered in training.
The Norwegian has been ordered to rest in the hope the injury will clear up, but The Press and Journal has learned the player continues to be assessed and no timescale on a return has yet been determined.
Speaking after the league game at St Johnstone before the international break, Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin said: “Sivert got a hit on the eye and he will go for another assessment.
“We don’t know yet if it will be short or long term. We will have to wait and see and take it from there.”
Dons defender ‘under a period of rest’
With the instructions to rest unchanged, Nilsen is not expected to feature in Saturday’s Premiership encounter with Motherwell at Pittodrie.
An Aberdeen spokesperson said: “It’s a fluid situation with the eye injury.
“Sivert is under a period of rest and once he gets through that he’ll speak to specialist.”
The Dons remain hopeful surgery will not be required and rest will be enough for the injury to clear.
This is why there is currently no timeline for Nilsen’s return to action, nor certainty about whether his season is over as a result of the eye injury.
The 33 year-old has been a key member of Thelin’s side this season.
He has missed five games in all competitions, with the only other game he did not feature in being the 2-0 defeat by Hibernian at Easter Road on February 1 where he was an unused substitute.
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