Only third spot will do Dons manager

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TARGET: Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood.

DONS boss Jimmy Calderwood today challenged his men to steal the SPL’s third spot to clinch a place in next season’s UEFA Cup.

Fourth – or even fifth depending on who reaches the Scottish Cup final – will be enough to qualify for Europe next season.

But Calderwood warned the Pittodrie players that finishing anything lower than third could force him to cut short their summer holidays.

That’s because the sides who finish fourth or fifth in the SPL will face the nightmare scenario of having to play UEFA Cup qualifying matches in July.

Calderwood said: “The players have already been told third is what we want.

“That will guarantee entry into the latter qualifying rounds of the UEFA Cup and give us a better chance of repeating the sort of excitement we all enjoyed last season.

“Fourth will also get you in and maybe even fifth, if the Scottish Cup final involves two of the top four.

“But the fifth placed side would have to start their qualifying campaign on July 17.

“That would mean taking the players back to training at least a month before that.

“It could leave them will only two or three weeks holidays in the summer, which isn’t ideal.

“The players won’t want that, so if they want to avoid any danger of it they know what has to be done.”

Aberdeen travel to play Inverness Caley Thistle tomorrow boosted by the news Sone Aluko has recovered from a hamstring injury.

The Dons beat Falkirk 2-1 last weekend without Aluko, but he will be in the starting line-up in the Highlands.

When asked if he was considering sticking with the side that beat the Bairns and leaving Aluko on the bench, Calderwood replied: “Who are you trying to kid?

“Sone has been brilliant for us, he has taken his game to a different level this season.”

Calderwood went with two wingers against the Bairns and hinted he will be doing the same up at the Caledonian Stadium.

“We are going to win and with the aim to pin Inverness back in their half as much as we can.

“That will suit them a little because they are strong on the counter attack.

“But I’m hoping they will be too busy trying to stop us creating chances from wide areas to bother us at the other end of the park.

“We have to win to cut the gap on third, so we have no choice.”

Jamie Smith is back in full training but won’t be risked tomorrow.

“I would rather give Jamie more time to work on his fitness” said Calderwood.

Midfielder Stuart Duff and striker Tommy Wright are also back training and expected to rejoin the first team squad in two weeks’ time.