Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin's Jonny Hayes 'wellbeing' frustration as he delivers injury 'reality' update

Aberdeen boss Jim Goodwin believes Steven McLean should have stopped the game immediately when Jonny Hayes went down with a head knock.

Aberdeen's Matty Kennedy suffered an injury in the loss to Hearts. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

The Irishman went down in the 71st minute after a collision with team-mate David Bates but the play continued for 15 seconds.

Hayes would receive treatment on the field for nearly three minutes before being replaced by Jack MacKenzie.

It was the latest injury suffered by the Dons with Matty Kennedy also having gone off earlier in the game.

"Jonny was more precaution than anything else,” Goodwin said. “A serious head knock, I thought the game should have been stopped immediately. We talk about player welfare and that's something that's been in the headlines quite a lot. That game should have been stopped instantly and Jonny allowed to get the treatment required.

"I just felt it looked like a heavy knock at the time. Jonny wanted to play on but my priority is always the player's health and wellbeing and thought it was the right thing to take Jonny off at that particular time.

“Matty has had a bit of a back injury all season and it maybe looks as if he has tweaked that again.”

‘Reality of the situation’

While Goodwin was not wanting to use injuries as an excuse for the poor performance at Tynecastle Park, he did note the unfortunate luck he has had to contend with since replacing Stephen Glass at Pittodrie.

In his three games he has had to do without Calvin Ramsay, Hayes, MacKeznie, Ross McCrorie, Scott Brown and Funso Ojo, as well as longer-term absentees Marley Watkins and Andrew Considine.

“There's no getting away from that," Goodwin said. “As a manager if you come out and start talking about the players that are missing and all the things that have been going against you, you get shot down because people accuse you of making excuses. I'm not that type of person, I'm not going to make excuses. That is the reality of the situation that we are in.

"We've got a lot of good players out injured at the moment, we had Covid-related issues, some things outwith our control which have been going against us. Matty Kennedy has felt his back go, Jonny Hayes has had to go off so if it doesn't rain it pours at the moment.

"I've only been in ten days and I think we've had half a dozen injuries. It's quite crazy but it is what it is. We can't feel sorry for ourselves and we need to make the best of a bad situation. We have to try and pick a strong XI to go to Ibrox on Saturday.

Aberdeen have just four games to secure their place in the top six with the middle of the Premiership very tight, five points separating the Dons in tenth and Livingston in fourth. Dundee United are three points ahead in sixth.

After the match at Rangers, Aberdeen host Hibs and Ross County who are both chasing top six places. Those fixtures sandwich a trip to face Dundee.

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