Aberdeen set to be without 3 key stars for Hearts clash as Barry Robson speaks pressure and future of VAR

Aberdeen could be without three key players as they go in search of the win against Hearts at Tynecastle Park which would confirm a third-place finish in the Premiership.

Five points ahead of Hearts and six ahead of Hibs, the Dons will secure their position as best of the rest with a win in Gorgie on Saturday afternoon coupled with Lee Johnson’s men failing to beat Rangers on Sunday. However, they will be without Graeme Shinnie for the trip to the Capital as he serves the final game of his ban. Both Duk and Ross McCrorie could join their captain on the sidelines. The former “has a slight hamstring injury", picked up in the 0-0 draw with Hibs, while the latter has stepped up his recovery from surgery but the game could come too soon.

“We are taking it day by day at the minute,” manager Barry Robson said of Duk. “He has a slight hamstring injury. We have another few days until the game so we will wait and see how he is and try to get him to recover as quickly as he can. Rosco is getting there. He was up to nearly 100 percent on the training pitch on Wednesday, which was pleasing and really good. Hopefully, he will be back sooner rather than later.”

The Aberdeen boss, who was coy on the subject of McCrorie’s reported summer move to Bristol City, was far more certain regarding Duk’s involvement between now and the end of the season. The 18-goal fan favourite will “definitely" play a part at some point in the next three games. Meanwhile, Jonny Hayes, Ylber Ramadani and Angus MacDonald are all set to be available for the Hearts fixture after picking up knocks at the weekend.

“It is about trying to get all your best players out on the pitch, that is what we are looking for,” Robson said. “We are still without Shinnie and this will be his fourth game. It has been a bit frustrating with that one but we are pretty close to getting everybody back.”

‘Pressure is on them’

Robson is relishing the encounter at Tynecastle, “one of the best venues and arenas in Scotland”. It is a ground where he scored five of his nine goals as a player against Hearts, his most against any opposition during his career, including hat-tricks in back-to-back seasons for Dundee United. He noted the desire Steven Naismith’s side will have to win.

“I just think the pressure is on them,” Robson said. “They will be desperate to win the game as we are. The pressure is on players, managers and coaches everywhere. It is on all of us. It is going to be a tough game for us and for them."

Aberdeen's Duk and Ylber Ramadani were injury concerns following the draw with Hibs. (Photo by Paul Devlin / SNS Group)

Hearts have been boosted by the news Peter Haring's controversial red card against St Mirren on Saturday has been reduced to a yellow following an appeal. A decision which Robson said “didn't surprise me”. The Dons themselves were left frustrated when an appeal for Shinnie's red card against Ross County was not only rejected but saw the midfielder handed an extra game.

“Look it is the future of the game," Robson said of VAR. “Hopefully we will all get used to it and hopefully we can all get much better with.”