Aberdeen's Ryan Hedges out for the season with pectoral injury

| 05 February 2021

Aberdeen's Ryan Hedges out for the season with pectoral injury

The Wales winger had ambitions of playing at Euro 2020.

Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has revealed Ryan Hedges will miss the rest of the season with a pectoral injury.

The winger suffered the problem during the midweek defeat to Livingston and will undergo surgery next week, which could leave his Euro 2020 ambitions with Wales up in smoke.

"Ryan Hedges is going for an operation next Friday and he is out for the season," McInnes said ahead of the Scottish Premiership game with Hibernian on Saturday.

"He has a real unusual injury. He has torn the muscle off his pectoral and it is an injury you don't really see in football, it is more rugby and wrestling, so he will be out for the season with his operation. It is a real blow but one we need to deal with.

"I am gutted for Ryan. He has had such a good campaign and taken on a lot of responsibility and carried that attacking threat.

"It is a huge season for him with his own aspirations of getting to the Euros. It is tough on the team, it is tough for Ryan, but we have to deal with those challenges.

"He might have an outside chance of the Euros. Until the surgeon gets in and really explores the injury we would be second guessing.

"Because it is a rupture of the muscle, similar to a hamstring, you are probably talking the best part of three months. He potentially could get maybe back for a game or two towards the end, but to put himself forward for the Wales squad he has to be playing games, so it is not impossible but it is a big challenge."

McInnes will also be without Ash Taylor, who has a thigh strain, while new signing Florian Kamberi is unavailable as he has yet to enter the country due to coronavirus restrictions.

The Dons have won only one of their last seven games and will aim to put that right at Easter Road in a fixture which McInnes is describing as a cup final.

"It feels like a cup final. You don't get any prizes for winning, but it would be a significant result and would help our quest to finish third and qualify for Europe.

"We have taken criticism for our run and we accept that, but if we win tomorrow we go third.

"The must-win tag comes along every now and again. It is a game we would love to win clearly. We would go third with a game in hand if we do win.

"It is a tough ask to go down there and beat them, but it is one we are capable of doing.

"Everything that has happened up until now is not really important. There are 12 games left and it is what we do in these 12 games that determine whether it has been a successful season or not."