On Wednesday, Aberdeen will start a game for the first time this season without their captain Anthony Stewart on the pitch.
The defender’s red card at St Mirren on Saturday means he will sit out the trip to Kilmarnock, home of former Dons boss Derek McInnes.
Stewart’s absence leaves manager Jim Goodwin with a decision to make.
Does he keep faith with his 3-5-2 formation given Stewart is unavailable or does he change back to a back four for the trip to Rugby Park?
We’ll know the answer to that one at around 6.30pm when the team is announced, but it will be interesting to see how the Reds perform without Stewart.
Dons skipper’s strengths and weakenesses
Stewart’s red card in Paisley on Christmas Eve encapsulated what Dons fans have seen all season.
The former Wycombe Wanderers man is a committed player, having made 172 clearances, 69 more than his nearest challenger at Pittodrie, fellow centre-half Liam Scales.
Stewart has also made 26 tackles, nine challenges and 30 interceptions in addition to blocking 20 passes and 20 shots in the Premiership this season.
It is all comparable to that of his team-mates, Scales and another player deployed most often in the back-line this term, Ross McCrorie, but it is skipper Stewart’s unforced errors with the ball which have provided the biggest cause for concern.
Four times this season, Stewart has made an error leading to an opposition strike on goal.
Saturday was a day when an at-times-casual approach from the Dons captain backfired spectacularly with his team-leading 1-0.
Having been loose with a pass to team-mate Ylber Ramadani, which led to Saints attacker Jonah Ayunga getting a shot away, moments prior, Stewart was then caught in possession by Ayunga and hauled the striker to the deck.
Out came the red card, off went Stewart, and a penalty was awarded and equaliser scored.
Two more penalties, one missed, and two goals later, the home side celebrated an early Christmas gift of a 3-1 win and three points from the Dons.
If you are going to shoot yourself in the foot, you might as well bring out the shotgun.
Stewart’s departure and the manner in which the home side capitalised on their extra man meant the Dons, for all their good attacking intent, suffered a third straight defeat.
Defensive malaise continues to hamper Dons progress
Aberdeen’s defensive fragility continues to undermine their season.
Back four or back three, eight clean sheets have been recorded in 24 matches in all competitions and four of those came in the first four matches of the season in the League Cup.
The porous backline needs to be addressed and chairman Dave Cormack hinted as much in his brief, but telling post on Twitter on Saturday.
Cormack wrote: “Wishing Dons fans the very best for the festive season. Yes, a brutal week. No question where Jim’s focus is for January.
“We’ve signed many excellent players. It’ll take 2/3 windows to get right. Still 3rd & all to play for. Your support has been brilliant. Thank you & COYR!”
Wishing Dons fans the very best for the festive season. Yes, a brutal week. No question where Jim's focus is for January. We've signed many excellent players. It'll take 2/3 windows to get right. Still 3rd & all to play for. Your support has been brilliant 👋👋 Thank you & COYR!
— Dave Cormack (@CormackDavie) December 24, 2022
How will the Dons cope without their suspended skipper?
Results elsewhere have combined to keep Aberdeen in third place in the league, but the need to get back to winning ways at Rugby Park is pressing.
How the Dons fare in the absence of their captain is the interesting part.
As the senior member of the defence, we’ll find out soon enough if the experienced centre-half’s absence is keenly felt.
Has he been the glue keeping a leaky defence together – or a weak link?
Dons fans have been split on the answer to that one.
Some hide their eyes whenever he is on the ball, while others believe his no-nonsense, keep-it-simple defensive duties have been hugely important.
Clearly, his manager believes he is a pivotal figure, given he has been an ever-present until his weekend red card interrupted the sequence.
But, if the Dons bounce back at Killie, whether the defensive changes alongside the personnel or not, then Goodwin will have serious food for thought about whether to recall his captain for the first game of 2023 against Ross County at Pittodrie on Monday.
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