Injury blow for Aberdeen’s European rivals BK Hacken

BK Hacken have been hit with an injury setback ahead of Thursday’s Conference League second qualifying round second leg tie against Aberdeen after winger Ali Youssef was told he will not play again until 2022.

The 20-year-old winger, who has scored against AIK and Kalmar since Per-Mathias Hogmo arrived at the club last month, limped off in the second half of the first leg 5-1 loss to the Dons at Pittodrie on Thursday.

Scans have shown Youssef has suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury and will require surgery.

Hacken physio Patrik Ghazarian told the club’s website: “Of course we suffer with Ali. For his part, the swelling in his knee needs to go down before he can have surgery and then rehabilitation begins shortly afterwards.

“In most cases, it takes nine months before you are back in match play.”

Sporting director Martin Ericsson, meanwhile, insists his team is aiming for revenge as they look to record a European comeback in Thursday’s second leg.

European football is a major aim for the Swedes this season and Ericsson says his club has not given up hope of overturning their four-goal deficit.

He said: “It was a tough blow, you have to say, but it’s not over yet. We get to do everything we can in the return leg.

“It is such a decisive match as well. Our goal is to be in Europe, and then we want to be able to perform. So it was a very tough one.

“There are very many things that we can resent from the match. We all get to see ourselves in the mirror, based on what we could have done differently. I think most people know that we could have done a lot of things better.

“We get to do everything we can in the return, when it’s time for it on Thursday. It is not over yet, before the final whistle goes.

“I think everyone is very hungry for revenge. There is new energy in the team and I think everyone who played wants revenge, and the others probably want to play on the front foot. Football is like that.”