Striker set for Aberdeen return as Stephen Glass watches and waits

Talk about surreal. Aberdeen are preparing to return to league action this weekend while their new manager sits in a hotel checking his log-in details for Red TV.

Aberdeen on-loan striker Fraser Hornby (left) is in line to return this weekend against St Johnstone (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Meanwhile, the one player who has scored for them during the current run that saw Derek McInnes relieved of his duties must sit out the match against St Johnstone because he’s actually their player. Callum Hendry has scored twice off the bench in wins over Kilmarnock and Dumbarton – the two bright spots in an otherwise bleak on-pitch period for the club.

Another on-loan signing, Flo Kamberi, has yet to score in seven outings to date and is running out of games in which to break his duck. Interim manager Paul Sheerin was able to provide some cheer when he confirmed Fraser Hornby, the third in this holy trinity of on-loan strikers, will be able to feature in Perth after missing last weekend’s Scottish Cup win over Dumbarton with a niggle.

The last bona fide Aberdeen player to score a goal for the club remains Andrew Considine as far back as January, remarkably. Stephen Glass hopes to lift spirits as soon as he clocks on for work next week, ahead of the home Scottish Cup clash against Livingston. Sheerin is determined to leave him with a gift of three points after tomorrow’s trip to McDiarmid Park.

Prospects do not appear good on that front, however. While Aberdeen have been struggling painfully to score goals, St Johnstone have been doggedly refusing to let any in. They have kept clean sheets in five of their last six games, the last three of which they have won 1-0.

Glass must keep his distance because he is quarantining after coming over from the United States last week but he might be glad of the reason to keep away from this one in any case.

“We’re not in touch daily,” revealed Sheerin, with reference to Glass. “We’ve had three or four conversations since he took the job. We message back and forwards. It is a strange situation purely because I know he is desperate to get in and get involved and I know he’s desperate to make his mark.

“From his interim time he had at Atlanta, he felt that interference may cause issues so he’s just stepped away from that side of it. I gather that will be tough for him, but he’s managed to do that up until now.”

Sheerin will have to fathom how to get his side scoring – a win is a necessity if they are to put any pressure on third-placed Hibs, who play Rangers on Sunday.

“It is always a challenge against St Johnstone all the time I have been involved at the club,” said Sheerin, who enjoyed six years at the Perth club as a player. More often than not they are stuffy affairs. A lot of the time they have been 1-0s and 0-0s with the odd occasion where there have been more goals.

“We are well aware it will be a tough afternoon. We know how well St Johnstone have done as a club with winning the League Cup and getting a top six finish again. Their consistency has been incredible."

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