Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin has confirmed midfielder Sivert Heltne Nilsen is ruled out for the rest of the season with an eye injury.
The Norwegian has been sidelined for two months with the injury suffered during a training session.
Signed last summer from SK Brann, the 33-year-old has been a key player for Thelin this season.
However, he will miss the climax of the battle for third place and the Scottish Cup final against Celtic at Hampden on Saturday, May 24.
Thelin hopes the influential midfielder will recover in time to start pre-season training with the Dons after the summer break.
He said: “Sivert is going to be ruled out for the rest of the season and then let’s see for how long a time.
“I think it’s going quite well, but it’s just the timeline.
“It’s too short, so it’s not going to be ready for the last games – not even the final.
“But hopefully he is ready for the pre-season.
“Everything is going as well as it could be.
“When players get injuries you know how much it means for them as they contribute to the team.
“Their life is having to push in training every day, looking forward to the games.
“But the way of football sometimes, and in life in general, is you get setbacks.
“You get some problems you need to solve and sometimes you can grow with that also and we have to support each other.”
Midfielder returns to Aberdeen from Norway
Thelin granted Heltne Nilsen permission to return to Norway while he focused on recovery from the injury.
The midfielder is now back in the Granite City.
Thelin said: “He arrived back on Monday.
“He wants to train, but he can’t right now.”
Meanwhile, centre-back Kristers Tobers has ramped up his rehabilitation from a hamstring injury that has ruled him out for two months.
Tobers steps up rehabilitation
A £600,000 signing from Swiss club Grasshoppers in the January window, Tobers last featured for the Dons in a 2-2 draw with Dundee United on March 2.
The 24-year-old will miss Saturday’s clash at St Mirren, but could be in contention for the trip to Rangers the following weekend.
Thelin said: “Kristers is in full training this week, but he needs some more time so he doesn’t get any setbacks
“At least he’s training full with the team now.”
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