6th April 2025 Craven Cottage, Fulham, London, England Premier League Football, Fulham versus Liverpool Mohamed Salah of Liverpool pursues Antonee Robinson of Fulham PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxUK ActionPlus12772026 IanxStephen
Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson has confirmed that Latvian international captain Kristers Tobers has returned to training after a gruelling ten-month absence from football.
Tobers has been sidelined with a serious knee injury since arriving at Pittodrie in January 2025, making his prolonged absence one of the most difficult injury stories at the club in recent memory.
The defender’s recovery was further complicated when he developed an infection in the wound, adding significant setbacks to an already difficult rehabilitation process.
Robinson has welcomed the news from Tobers’ specialist visit, confirming the player has been given the all-clear to step up his comeback at his own pace.
The Aberdeen manager said: “Kristers went to the specialist, so he’s been given the all-clear to step up his comeback.”
Robinson was also careful to manage expectations around a firm return date, adding: “He had a little bit of a setback with an infection in his knee, but we’ve got the all-clear for him now to crack on with.”
He continued: “He’s been out a long time, so I would be against putting an actual date on that because I want to make sure he comes back 100% without any pressure.”
Robinson’s side got their pre-season campaign off to a strong start with a 2-0 victory over Brora Rangers, with Kevin Nisbet scoring a double to secure the win.
The Dons will look to carry that momentum into a Premier Sports Cup tie when Queen’s Park visit Pittodrie, with Robinson hoping to welcome back several key players.
Alexander Briedl, Stuart Armstrong, and Kenan Bilalovic are all in contention to return for the Queen’s Park fixture, while midfielders Ante Palaversa and Kjartan Kjartansson are expected to be available for the midweek trip to Queen of the South.
Robinson confirmed: “Alex Briedl and Stuart Armstrong, the same and Kenan Bilalovic. We are hoping to have at least three of them back for Saturday and the other two early next week.”
Left-back Emmanuel Gyamfi faces a longer wait to return, with Robinson admitting his timeline remains unclear and that recovery will be measured conservatively for now.
Robinson said of Gyamfi: “It’ll be hopefully weeks rather than months,” offering cautious optimism about the full-back’s eventual return to the squad.
Off the pitch, Robinson has overseen a significant rebuild at Aberdeen this summer, bringing in ten outfield players and closing in on German goalkeeper Marius Muller from Wolfsburg.
Muller will compete with Dimitar Mitov for the number one spot, pushing Aberdeen’s total summer signings to the equivalent of an entire starting eleven.
Robinson acknowledged further departures are expected, with winger Nicolas Milanovic having already agreed a deal to re-sign for Western Sydney Wanderers.
He stated: “We could have waited for players to leave, but players were never going to leave until the windows in other countries opened.”
Robinson also pointed to the global transfer calendar as a contributing factor, noting: “Obviously, with the World Cup going on, it delayed the transfer market a little bit, but we were able to crack on and bring players in.”
The Aberdeen boss praised the club’s board for their backing throughout the summer window, adding: “I’ve been supported really well on that. There’ll still be more players to leave. That’s just the nature of football.”
Robinson confirmed the club will continue to assess their options, particularly at full-back and in wide areas, as the new season approaches.
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