Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes expects Craig Bryson to return and ease his midfield crisis at Motherwell.
The former Scotland midfielder is now over a recent ankle injury and is just waiting for some bone bruising to die down.
McInnes thinks his summer signing should be fit for the trip to Fir Park a week on Saturday.
It will be good timing with Lewis Ferguson suspended and Funso Ojo and Scott Wright both out with long-term injury.
McInnes explained: “Clearly we have issues for midfield for the Motherwell game coming up.
“I am hoping Craig Bryson might be back.
“All I am thinking about at the moment it is how we can line up a team and what type of team we can pick to play against Motherwell with the suspensions on top of the injuries.”
Bryson has had a horrendous run of injuries since he signed from Derby County in the summer.
The Dons will have even more selection issues going into that game with Ash Taylor injured and Curtis Main also banned on his return to his former club. The striker, along with Ferguson, was red carded in the weekend draw with Hibs.
McInnes is disappointed with Ferguson’s ban because he felt he was the best player on the pitch before his stoppage-time red card against Hibs.
He stated: “Ferguson got better and better. He was head and shoulders above everyone in the second half. He was outstanding.
“It is just a shame it finished for him on a sour note with the red card.”
McInnes will use his time wisely as he looks to find a way to cut Motherwell’s six point-lead in third spot.
Aberdeen lost ground at the weekend but McInnes was full of praise for his players as they came from behind to salvage a point, despite finishing the game with just nine men. Their manager felt it was the perfect reaction after their five goal-thumping at Rangers.
“It felt like more than just a point that because we were down and out and the players did not give it up,” McInnes proudly stated.
“It was everything I wanted to see from my team.
“I could not be more proud of the player’s efforts.
“It was everything that we were not the previous week in terms of being aggressive enough. “We bordered on maybe being on the edge but I am asking for that and I want to see my team perform in that manner – the way they were in the second half.
“The reaction was what we wanted.
“Of course we wanted the three points and with eleven men we would have given us a better chance of doing that.”
