Aberdeen star in injury blow but defender could return for Celtic game

Aberdeen will be without Connor Barron for the club’s Scottish Premiership opener against Celtic.

The midfielder has yet to feature for the Dons in their three Premier Sports Cup fixtures so far due to a knee issue and will be missing from Sunday’s final group stage encounter with Raith Rovers at Pittodrie.

Barron, who made his breakthrough into the Aberdeen first-team in the second half of last season, played in a friendly against Buckie Thistle prior to the club’s pre-season training camp in Spain.

The 19-year-old featured in a closed-doors encounter at the weekend but “tweaked” his knee.

The first league encounter at Celtic will come too soon for the midfielder who is a key player under Jim Goodwin.

“Barron played a part of a friendly match for us behind closed doors on Saturday and tweaked the inside of his knee again,” the Dons boss confirmed.

"It's nothing major, there's no alarm bells ringing but it is a tweak in the medial ligament which we hoped would be a couple of weeks but it could potentially be another couple of weeks which is a bit disappointing so the Celtic game might just come too soon for him.”

Meanwhile, Jack MacKenzie could return for the start of the league season.

Connor Barron will be missing for the next couple of weeks for Aberdeen. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

The left-back has had a thigh injury and has also missed the Premier Sports Cup matches which resulted in Mason Hancock’s proposed loan to Arbroath being cancelled.

“MacKenzie I'd like to think will be back in after the game against Raith,” Goodwin said.

“Young Mason Hancock has stepped into that position and done quite well as well. The academy boys have stepped up when needed."