Aberdeen aim to lift injured team-mate Andy Considine’s spirits by securing Europa Conference League group stage qualification tonight.
Keeper Joe Lewis insists the Reds’ squad were gutted when hearing confirmation Considine would be ruled out for four months following cruciate ligament surgery.
Scotland international Considine was stretchered off in the1-0 play-off first leg loss to Qarabag in Azerbaijan having caught his studs in the uneven pitch.
Manager Stephen Glass confirmed the defender will be side-lined until after Christmas.
Not only is Considine one of Aberdeen’s longest-serving players, he is also a life-long Dons fan and Lewis insists the squad are determined to secure group stage qualification for the first time since 2007 to give the defender a much-needed boost.
As Considine begins his rehabilitation, Lewis is confident the defender will win the physical and mental battle to come back stronger.
Lewis said: “While Andy won’t make the game, I’m sure he be watching it on his computer or television.
“He’ll be cheering us on as much as anyone and supporting us 100 per cent.
“Andy has been fantastic for us for a very long time now and there is disappointment for him personally and for the team.
“But Andy is the type of guy who will come back stronger.
“Any long-term injury is a physical and mental battle.
“He’s had injuries before, luckily not anything like this. But he’s a strong boy mentally and physically.”
Defence strong enough for Qarabag tie
Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass has confirmed he may look to sign defensive cover before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month following the hammer-blow of Considine’s knee injury
Defender Mikey Devlin is also out injured, leaving Scotland international Declan Gallagher and Ross McCrorie as the only two fit senior centre-backs.
Lewis is confident the Reds defence will still be strong to face Qarabag toinight.
He said: “Andy’s injury is clearly a blow, but Ross and Declan are more than capable of filling that void.
“We need to move on with it because there is nothing we can do.”
Aberdeen back on the Euro map
Considine was part of the last Aberdeen team that secured European group stage qualification when reaching that advanced phase in the UEFA Cup in 2007.
Lewis is determined to end that 14-year drought to put Aberdeen back on the European map to make continental teams take notice of the Reds again.
He said: “We’ve not qualified for the group stages in a lot of years.
“The opportunity to get there and get the Aberdeen name back in the minds of European football and European opposition is a fantastic one.
“We want to do that as players and we’re one game away.
“We need to win the game, we know, but we approach the game the way we would any other, to win. It’s not going to be drastically different.”
Groups would bring joy for supporters
Should Aberdeen overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit to knock-out Qarabag, reward would be European football until December and a base prize payment of £2.5m.
Lewis accepts the enormity of the game for not just the club’s finances ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic – but also how important it is for the supporters to have some joy after 18 months of lockdown and hardship.
He said: “If we can reach the groups it would be fantastic.
“From a players’ point of view, you’ve got another six games guaranteed, big games, three at home, so they would be great occasions for the supporters as well.
“Hopefully, restrictions depending, fans would be able to go to away games as well, because I know a lot of supporters love doing that.
“Financially, it’s worth a massive amount to the club.
“Coming out of a pandemic, I’m sure those funds would be greatly received by the club and we’d look to build with that.”
Lewis insists confidence is high
Ranked 86th in UEFA ‘s club standings, Qarabag have qualified for the group stages of European football for each of the previous seven years – once in the Champions League and six times in the Europa League.
Lewis accepts their Euro pedigree, but believes the Reds have enough in their locker to overcome the Azerbaijan outfit.
He said: “We know they have really good quality, but we don’t want to dwell too much on them.
“Although we have looked at them, you don’t want to get too wrapped up on the strength of the opposition.
“We like to think we’ve got a few things that can worry them, hopefully.”
Vital Euro advice from Considine
Considine may be absent from Pittodrie for the Qarabag tie as he recovers from surgery, but his influence will still be felt.
The defender has passed on his knowledge and experience of European group stage football during the 2007-08 season to the team.
Aberdeen faced Panathinaikos, Atletico Madrid, Lokomotiv Moscow and FC Copenhagen in the groups before progressing to set up a last 32 clash with German giants Bayern Munich.
Considine’s tales have made the Reds hungry to experience that themselves.
Lewis said: “I’ve spoken to Andy about the groups before and he said it was a fantastic experience.
“That team got through to the last 32 as well. He spoke about that, too.
“Anyone who spends time with Andy loves to pick his brains and his experience, especially the younger boys.
“He’s one who can pass on that experience.”
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