Niall McGinn may have to wait to make his 300th appearance for Aberdeen as a calf strain threatens to rule him out of tomorrow’s visit of Rangers.
The Northern Ireland international scored the 500th goal of Derek McInnes’ reign on his 299th appearance in Saturday’s 2-1 win against St Mirren but his own personal milestone appearance for the club looks set to be placed on hold.
Dons boss McInnes said: “We’re as we are from Saturday, apart from Niall McGinn who has picked up a little knock.
“He’s probably 50/50. It’s nothing too significant but he came off with a little calf strain on Saturday.
“He’s away for a scan. We don’t think it’s anything significant but the game might come a bit too quick for him.”
McGinn’s absence would be a blow for the Dons boss, who was again left impressed by the winger’s match-winning contribution.
McGinn is in his second spell with the Dons, having returned in 2017 following a six- month spell in South Korea, and McInnes insists the 32-year-old remains a valuable asset.
He said: “He’s maybe a different player in terms of how he plays the game but he still brings that quality.
“I think Niall’s always been a quick player and he’s still got that change in direction and that craft in the final third. It brings us a bit of calmness and quality, not just from set-plays but from open play.
“I thought his finish on Saturday was a typical McGinn finish. There’s a goalkeeper and a centre-back charging at him and he’s still got the wherewithal to place it in the only spot he could have scored. Hopefully he can be available.”
Rangers head for Pittodrie in terrific form and they scored five without reply against the Dons when the sides met at Ibrox in September. McInnes, however, hopes to see a much more competitive Aberdeen.
McInnes, who confirmed Craig Bryson will sit out the game due to an ankle injury, added: “We’ve got to carry a threat in the game and a way of causing them problems. We’re mindful that if given time and space to operate they can put you to the sword.
“We’ve got to be aggressive in our one-to-one defending over the pitch.
“We’ve got to have confidence and concentration but, being at home with the vast majority of the crowd behind us, we’ve got to show intent to win the game.”