Jimmy Thelin spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s Scottish Gas Scottish Cup Quarter-final match with Queen’s Park at Pittodrie.

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“Krister Tobers is still working with the medical staff and tomorrow is probably too soon. Let’s see for the next week and the next game. He just feels something there, maybe some overload. Let’s see, we have to keep assessing it and working with it. Let’s see for the next week.

“Ester, Jack and Dante are available. Let’s see tomorrow but they are available now to be inside the squad.

“When they’re out for such a long time, every player wants to play. The good thing is that we have strong competition now. It’s going to be a choice for me every week to make the match squad and keep the right balance. It’s good competition. It helps everyone to be sharp and keep that drive until the end of the season.

“We are in a really difficult and exciting part of the season now and every game is like a Cup game, we have to win and keep pushing for the spot in the league. It’s also an intense period now with the Cup games.”

Graeme Shinnie’s 600th Career Appearance

“600 games is incredible. It’s a lot of games. He’s still lively and energetic in training and in the games. He’s a really good captain for Aberdeen Football Club. His behaviour is always top, how he supports his team mates and also us and the staff. It’s a really nice career, it’s ongoing and he is working so hard every day. It’s impressive to have so many games and still have that drive and hunger.”

Challenge of Queen’s Park

“Every game is a new game but we were really impressed with them. We have played them before. I think we won more or less with the last shot of the game. Cup games are Cup games, they’re always intense. It’s always small margins. We have to be really sharp. We have to be ready. I feel we are ready. We are playing at home at Pittodrie again, with our supporters. We had a really strong second half last game and I think we’re improving every week now. We’re looking forward to the game but they have done really well. They are a good team with a good manager and let’s be ready for that.”

Cup Competitions

“We’re ready. I like the Cup in so many ways because it’s 90 minutes, you have to win, and there’s no other option. It’s important for so many people. There is some good pressure there also, and I’m looking forward to the game tomorrow.

“We have to be optimistic about the situation, but also be aware of the strength of the opponent and you can see in the Cups, all over the UK and Scotland there are some big results, that’s why it’s so exciting with the Cup that you can compete over different divisions and all these kind of things. I’m looking forward to it and it’s an important game.”

Learnings from Dundee United

“We watched the game again (Dundee United) and analysed it. The start was quite good but Dundee United are having a good season, they are good, we know their strengths and they were clinical with set plays. We have to push for everything, we always do but we know there’s no other way out now to try to get an equaliser and to try to win. We got the equaliser and how the supporters and the players pushed each other together to try to turn the game around was really impressive.

“We always take it game by game but we also have to believe in ourselves. You have to be optimistic when you’re in a competition, and believe in your own qualities, but also be aware of the competition. In the league it’s really tight about the third position but tomorrow is win or lose, win or you’re out. We believe in ourselves for tomorrow and then take the next game.”

Looking Ahead to Tomorrow

“That’s what we’re pushing for (a strong start). We have some games this season when we haven’t started the way we would want. We were two down against Dundee United but I think the start of the game was quite good. We also know that we have these players  in the squad that can change the game in the second half also, but we need to improve at home, the start of the games and that’s what we focus on tomorrow.”