Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has confirmed that key trio Dimitar Mitov, Sivert Heltne Nilsen, and Kristers Tobers will all miss the Dons' upcoming clash against Motherwell at Pittodrie on Saturday, as they continue their fight to secure third place in the Scottish Premiership.
Thelin's first season in charge of Aberdeen has been plagued by injury setbacks and selection inconsistency, with a number of crucial players sidelined for significant spells. Most recently, goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov has been added to the treatment table after suffering a shoulder muscle injury while on international duty with Bulgaria.
Mitov was injured in a 2-1 UEFA Nations League play-off loss to the Republic of Ireland, when he collided with Matt Doherty while attempting to defend a header.
However, Thelin offered some relief, revealing that Mitov's injury - which will see him out for a third time since December - is not as severe as initially feared.
“It’s a small muscle injury in the shoulder and they are working a lot with Dimi now,” Thelin said.
“I think it’s a little better than we were first expecting. It’s more about weeks and not longer than that, but let’s see. Of course, it is frustrating for Dimi, but sometimes it can happen. He has had this kind of season now with some injuries.”
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Mitov will miss the upcoming league fixture and faces a race against time to be fit for the Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts at Hampden Park on April 19. Thelin confirmed, “We take it day by day and week by week,” but remained hopeful that Mitov would be back in action sooner rather than later.
Aberdeen's defensive woes continue with the absence of Latvian international captain Kristers Tobers, who has been ruled out for several weeks with a hamstring injury.
Tobers missed his country’s World Cup qualifiers against England and Andorra earlier this month and will play no part in the Motherwell game.
Thelin described the injury as "smaller" and stated, “With Kristers, it is more about weeks and not months. It’s difficult to say the exact timeline, but I’m quite positive there."
Thelin admitted that the nature of the injury is complex and that Nilsen’s recovery timeline is uncertain. “I think that’s a longer one as it is quite an unusual injury,” Thelin said. “We just have to wait and see, but the timeline with Sivert is much longer.”
Thelin also revealed that Nilsen’s condition is continually being assessed, and while the club is hopeful for a speedy recovery, there is no certainty regarding whether the 33-year-old will be available before the end of the season.
“We don’t know exactly right now how it’s going to be,” Thelin added. “Let’s see how he responds to rest and how quick things can go.”
The loss of Mitov, Tobers, and Heltne Nilsen comes as Aberdeen are already coping with a string of other injuries. Hibernian-bound Jamie McGrath, Gavin Molloy, and Vicente Besuijen are also sidelined.
Plus, they've only just welcomed back long-term absentees Ester Sokler, Pape Gueye, Jack Milne, and Dante Polvara as well as a more recent setback for Nicky Devlin.
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