Inverurie Locos strikers Joe McCabe and Matty McDonald are in a race to be fit for tonight’s Morrison Motors (Turriff) Aberdeenshire Shield quarter-final against Aberdeen juniors Banks o’ Dee at Harlaw Park.
Locos manager Neil Cooper said yesterday: “Our goalkeeper Andy Reid will sit this one out through suspension and we will check on both Joe and Matty’s fitness before the game. Both players have been suffering with flu.
“We didn’t manage to train last night due to the frost but hopefully the game will go on.
“Banks o’ Dee beat Huntly 5-0 in the Scottish Cup before they gave Ayr United a tough game in the following round, so we will give them every respect.
“They are top of their own league and well ahead of anyone else so that’s enough warning for any team.
“We’ve been playing well ourselves and hopefully we can put in another performance good enough to help us win the tie.”
Banks o’ Dee manager Tommy Forbes said: “Hopefully, the game will get the go-ahead as we’re looking forward to it.
“We know we will start as underdogs but that’s nothing new to us. Locos are sitting third in the Highland League table just behind leaders Cove Rangers and second-placed Fraserburgh for a reason and I can see them finishing in the top four this season.
“It will be a difficult game as they are capable of causing any team problems. Our Achilles heel recently has been conceding two goals in each game and we just can’t afford to do that against a side as good as Locos.”
Dee will be without former Keith midfielder Luke Barbour, who has work commitments, while central defender Matt Robertson has a hip injury.
