Aberdeen have suffered an injury hammer blow as boss Jim Goodwin revealed summer signing Callum Roberts is set for a significant spell on the sidelines.
Goodwin reckons that the attacking midfielder will be out for at least eight to ten weeks. Roberts came off late into the second half during the 4-1 win over St Mirren last weekend with a hamstring problem.
The Dons are already without Jack MacKenzie and Connor Barron to long-term injuries while fellow new boy Hayden Coulson pulled up injured 13 minutes into the clash with the Buddies but scans have shown the issue to be less severe that originally thought. It remains to be seen if Roberts' layoff will cause the Pittodrie hierarchy to dip into the transfer market for a replacement with Luis Lopes and Shayden Morris providing Goodwin options in the role the former Notts County star would play.
Asked about the injuries to Roberts and Coulson, Goodwin said: "The scans for Coulson's injury were actually better than first feared initially. This weekend is going to come too soon for him unfortunately but he will be back in the squad in the early part of next week.
"Roberts unfortunately, his one is worse than we thought initially and it looked and it looks as though Callum is going to be out for quite a significant period of time.
"It's a hamstring unfortunately in the tendon just behind his knee, so he'll go see a specialist this afternoon (August 11) and then there will be a decision made next week about how to treat that but it is looking at probably eight to 10 weeks I would imagine."
Goodwin compared the injury to an experience of his own time as a player and admitted it was shame for Roberts time at the club to start off this way.
He added: "It's never ideal, and I've been in that position myself as a player when I first signed for Scunthorpe many years ago. I broke my ankle in one of the first pre-season games and sat out for the next 12 weeks."
Aberdeen face Motherwell - who have appointed Steven Hammell as their new head coach - at Pittodrie on Saturday. And with Roberts and Coulson both missing, Liam Scales could move into left back against the Steelmen while Liverpool loanee Leighton Clarkson will likely partner Ylber Ramadani in the middle of the park with Ross McCrorie slotting in next to Anthony Stewart in defence.
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