Triple injury boost for Aberdeen ahead of Scottish Cup semi-final

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin revealed that Dimitar Mitov, Gavin Molloy and Jamie McGrath are back in contention for Saturday’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup semi-final against Hearts.

All three players – who were mainstays in the starting XI earlier in the season – have been sidelined due to shoulder injuries, with goalkeeper Mitov out since mid-March and centre-back Molloy and midfielder McGrath absent since January.

Molloy was initially deemed likely to be out until May while the club declared that McGrath would “miss the rest of the season through injury” when it was announced in February that he had agreed a pre-contract to join Hibernian this summer.

However, when invited to share his team news at his pre-match media briefing on Friday, Thelin said: “I think we have some players with some issues, but also Dimi, Gavin and Jamie are in full training, have been now for more or less one-and-a-half, two weeks, so we have good options to find the right balance for the squad for the game tomorrow.

“Gavin, Jamie and Dimi are ready to play.”

Asked about the fact Molloy and McGrath were back ahead of schedule, Thelin said: “They have gone really well, so sometimes it goes quicker than we thought, and this time they are actually available now for the last games of the season. That’s good, before it was more or less their last game (of the season), but now it’s a couple of games here now, so that’s good.”

Aberdeen are locked in a battle with Hibs for third place in the William Hill Premiership, but Thelin has no concerns about McGrath’s commitment to the Dons for the remainder of this term.

“Jamie is a really good character and he’s fully here with his mind and heart and he has a contract with Aberdeen Football Club,” said Thelin. “He is still an Aberdeen player and really focused.”

Thelin said Aberdeen are excited about their semi-final after banishing the disappointment of throwing away a two-goal lead and losing a stoppage-time equaliser at home to 10-man Rangers last Sunday.

“Of course, Sunday night was not one of the best ones, but also you have to understand that another game is coming really quick now, and it’s an important one, and that’s the skill you have to have if you work in football,” he said.

“You can’t feel sorry for yourself, you have to show up and focus on the next target which is a big semi-final, an important game, an exciting game. We know how much it means for everyone involved, staff, players, supporters, everyone.”

Both meetings between the teams since Neil Critchley was appointed Hearts boss in October have ended in draws, and Thelin is anticipating another closely-contested match at Hampden.

“They are a good team, they have good players, they have a clear idea,” he said. “The games before have been really tight against them, and now it’s a semi-final where everybody wants to go to the final, so there are a lot of things involved in this game. My expectation is it’s going to be a really tight game.”