Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin ‘feels sorry’ for Leighton Clarkson after injury

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin lamented the loss of another key midfielder to injury after learning that Leighton Clarkson faces the prospect of being sidelined for the first two months of the William Hill Premiership campaign.

The influential 22-year-old playmaker, who scored two goals in the Dons’ Premier Sports Cup matches last month, went off in the 55th minute of last weekend’s 6-0 victory over Dumbarton.

It emerged on Friday that Clarkson has suffered a fracture in his shoulder and could be out for “up to eight weeks” as a result.

The extent of the former Liverpool academy player’s injury represents a fresh pre-season blow for the Dons just weeks after fellow midfielder Dante Polvara was ruled out for several months with a torn hamstring.

“The manager has today confirmed that Leighton Clarkson has sustained a shoulder injury that will keep him out for up to eight weeks,” read a statement from the Dons.

Thelin added: “I feel sorry for Leighton. He’s a good guy and he started the season really well and has been important for us. But that’s football, we need to find solutions for him and for Dante who is also not available. That’s our job now.

“Sometimes it gives opportunities to other players. Of course we feel like both Dante and Leighton are really good guys and players, and it’s not nice when they get setbacks like this. But they have our support and hopefully they get back stronger and can still give energy to the locker room.”

In addition to injuries, the recently-appointed Thelin has also had to contend with ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of talismanic forward Bojan Miovski, who has been the subject of interest from Espanyol, Bologna and Genoa.

The North Macedonia international made only one substitute appearance across the Dons’ four Premier Sports Cup group fixtures, but Thelin is adamant he is in the frame to feature in Monday’s league opener away to St Johnstone.

“For me, he is still an Aberdeen player, and that’s what we focus on,” said the manager. “We have a game on Monday, he is training fully and he is giving everything in the training so for sure he will be in the squad, and maybe he starts.”