Aberdeen manager Barry Robson insists he does not have the squad depth to make wholesale changes to his team after European games.
And the Reds boss reckons even if he did have the capacity to overhaul a starting XI after Euro action it would not necessarily pay off.
Robson points to PAOK who fought back from two goals down to beat Aberdeen 3-2 in the Europa Conference League groups on Thursday.
Group leaders PAOK made five changes from the team that beat the Dons for their Greek Super League clash AEK Athens on Sunday, and still lost 2-0.
Despite the demands of the clash with Group G leaders PAOK, Robson made just one change to his team for a 2-0 loss at Kilmarnock less than 72 hours later.
Robson admits he is still working on finding a solution to balancing Euro demands with domestic commitments.
However he remains confident the Dons squad he rebuilt during the summer transfer window will be successful this season.
Now Robson will bid to kick-start Aberdeen’s stuttering Premiership campaign against Motherwell away on Wednesday.
Robson also revealed summer signing Rhys Williams, on loan from Liverpool, has yet to feature this season because he has been “plagued by injuries”.
He said: “We have mixed up the team but you have to get the balance right about making five or six changes.
“We can’t do that because we don’t have enough players to do that.
“We looked at PAOK at the weekend and they made five changes and lost 2-0.
“There is no hiding.
“David Moyes (West Ham manager) rested eight (after 2-1 Europa League loss at Olympiakos) and got beat 1-0 by Everton.
“We can’t do four or five because then you disrupt the whole team.
“It is about finding that balance. “
‘We need to find solutions’
Aberdeen have won just one of the five Premiership matches this season following a European match.
Next up for the Dons in the Europa Conference League Group G is a trip to PAOK next Thursday.
Asked if he is confident he is closing in on a solution to the Euro/domestic conundrum, Robson said: “I hope so.
“When you go into European games you are fresher on the Thursday than you are on the Sunday.
“We can’t use excuses. Nobody is going to listen to us.
“We need to find solutions and that is what we are trying to do.
“I know the side we have got, where we are and the places we need to get to.
“We have some good players here and we will be alright.
“I have to make sure we navigate properly through this next seven or eight weeks because we have a side that will do well this season.”
Williams has been ‘plagued with injuries’
Robson overhauled the squad this summer with 13 new signings.
Loan signings Or Dadia (Hapoel Be’er Sheva) and Williams (Liverpool) have yet to get any first competitive first team game time.
Centre-back Williams has experience of the Champions League with Liverpool.
However, so far the Anfield defender has only featured for the Dons’ B team in an Aberdeenshire Shield tie against Fraserburgh of the Highland League.
Israel international full-back Dadia also played against Fraserburgh last month.
Strikers Ester Sokler and Papa Gueye were both secured for significant six figure transfers this summer, but neither have started a game.
Robson said: “Rhys Williams has been plagued with injuries but is coming again.
“James McGarry, Shayden Morris and Angus MacDonald were all out injured.
“Angus has been out for nine weeks and he has had a couple of closed door games but it is not easy just to come in.
“He has been working hard but it is hard going into these games.
“It takes time to get them ready for these big games.
“We’ve tied up the team with Connor (Barron) and Leighton (Clarkson), Dante (Polvara) and Ryan Duncan.”
No war of words with ‘Well manager
Aberdeen are languishing a lowly 11th in the Premiership table with a return of just nine points from nine games.
A must-win game at Motherwell was added extra spice when Fir Park boss Stuart Kettlewell took issue with a quote from Robson about beating the Steelmen.
Robson refused to get drawn into a war of words and emphasised his respect for Kettlewell and Well.
He said: “You look at his record and Stuart has done a brilliant job.
“What I can say is that I have a lot of respect for Stuart.
“I have been in the Scottish game for 25 to 30 years and I have never ever had an easy game at Motherwell.
“I am not going to come out and say we are definitely going to win there.
“It is always a hard game we know we will need to be at our best.”
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