Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee insists it will not be long before talismanic attacker Sone Aluko is back up to speed now he is clear of the distraction of international duty.
The 20-year-old forward was left on the bench until the final half an hour in Saturday’s 1-1 SPL draw against Hearts after spending a month away with the Nigeria squad at the Under-20 World Cup in Egypt.
The tournament was a source of frustration for the former Birmingham youth player and the Dons.
He returned to Scotland injured following a pre-tournament training camp in Spain and then rejoined the Nigeria squad without the Dons’ permission before being forced to return to clear the air.
In Egypt it did not get much better as he was substituted twice and left on the bench in the other match as the Flying Eagles were unexpectedly eliminated in the group stages of the tournament.
Aluko returned to Pittodrie last week but McGhee was not convinced the former England youth international was in peak condition to start against Hearts.
The manager insisted the player is now ready to ignite his season.
He said: “We missed Sone while he was away. Before he went I think he was looking forward to it so much he maybe was not quite as tuned in as he would normally have been.
“Now that it is out of his system, we expect big things from him.
“Last week he just looked as though he had not done a lot of work. He looked like someone who has been away and not trained much.
“He lost his edge and I didn’t want to stick him back into the team at the expense of someone such as Michael Paton, who has been doing well.
“Big things are expected of Aluko but we need to get him sharper and fitter.
“We will get him up to speed.”
McGhee will today finalise a deal with defender Maurice Ross.
The former Rangers full back, who picked up the last of his 13 Scotland caps in the 6-0 play-off defeat against Holland in 2003, is to sign until Christmas with an option of extending the deal until the end of the season.
Ross, along with the rest of the Dons squad, took part in sport science tests at Robert Gordon University yesterday as part of ongoing fitness examinations.