Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin revealed Jack MacKenzie is available for Saturday’s Scottish Cup final against Celtic at Hampden Park following the facial injury he sustained after being hit by a flying missile at Tannadice on Saturday.
After Dundee United fans invaded the pitch following the home side’s 2-1 Premiership win over the Dons, the unused substitute was caught on the face by part of a seat thrown from the section housing Red Army fans and required treatment before and after being taken down the tunnel in a wheelchair.
Police Scotland said a 31-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with reckless conduct. He is due to appear at Dundee Sheriff Court on Wednesday.
Thelin said on Wednesday: “Jack MacKenzie has trained on the pitch today, and he was okay. He is available for Saturday’s game.
“We have a strong support network, good team-mates and good staff.
“Jack is a strong guy, he has been performing well in the sessions. We also try to look forwards and not back. We have been taking care of him and he is doing well.”
Thelin said last Saturday’s incident should not reflect badly on the wider Aberdeen support.
“No matter what you do in life, if it’s football or something else, you have to feel safe in your job of course,” he stressed.
“Incidents can happen, and it’s not okay, but it can happen. But overall if you think about the big picture, all the support we’ve had this year from the Aberdeen football family, it has been an incredible experience for me to be involved with across the year, all the emotions from the season.
“Overall it is an amazing club with amazing supporters, so sometimes incidents can happen and it’s not okay, and it could have been even worse, but if you look at the bigger picture it has been a good year in my opinion.
“We always have to make sure that players and staff feel safe, wherever you work you must feel safe in your job.”
Aberdeen have everyone available for Saturday’s final except injured trio Sivert Heltne Nilsen, Vicente Besuijen and Ester Sokler. Asked if he had picked his team to face treble-chasing Celtic, Thelin said: “We have a clear plan of what we’re going to do.”
Saturday’s match will be the first final of Thelin’s managerial career, with the Dons aiming to win the cup for the first time in 25 years.
“I think the Scottish Cup has a really big history, it’s a big thing, and you can feel it already around the club and around the country,” he said. “It’s a big thing happening on Saturday, so we’re really excited for this moment, everyone.”
Dons captain Graeme Shinnie tasted Scottish Cup success when he was part of the Inverness Caley Thistle team that won the competition in 2015.
And the 33-year-old would love to emulate that feat against Celtic on Sunday.
He said: It would be right at the top, to do it again.
“It’s hard enough to do it once, but to do it twice would be something special.
“We are fully focused on trying to perform as well as possible and see what happens on the day. We will need to try to stop them from playing well and try to make a dent in the game and not let them get into the fluidity that they enjoy.
“That will be hard, they’re a great team and they’ve dominated Scottish football for many years, but they’re not unbeatable. And that’s been proven this season.
“Like I said, it’s going to take a lot of hard work and a game plan to try and execute that.”
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