Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson has clarified why Nicky Devlin was left out of his squad for the Premier Sports Cup victory over Queen’s Park on Saturday.
The Dons ran out 2-1 winners, with Robinson opting to start Lewis Mayo at right-back and name young Dylan Lobban among the substitutes instead of the Scotland international.
Robinson explained his reasoning directly, saying he wanted to assess Mayo in the position before committing to him as a regular option there.
He confirmed: “I didn’t want two right backs on the bench because Lewis Mayo was starting there. I wanted to look at Lewis there because I haven’t seen loads of him at right-back.”
Robinson also noted that defender Mats Knoester is nearing a return to fitness, which factored into his thinking around squad selection for the cup group stage.
He added: “Mats is coming back soon as well. He is a couple of weeks away. I thought Dylan gave us more of an attacking edge if we needed that.”
The Aberdeen boss was quick to dismiss any suggestion of a falling out with Devlin, describing the experienced full-back as a consummate professional who accepted the decision without complaint.
Robinson turned his attention to Wednesday’s trip to Queen of the South, where he intends to rotate his squad and protect players who are still building match sharpness after the summer break.
He acknowledged the risks of overloading players at this early stage, saying: “Nesta is still getting fit so to ask him to play three games in just over a week is not right. Lewis Smith as well, it could lead to injury.”
Recent signing Lewis Smith marked his Pittodrie debut with a goal, but Robinson was measured in his assessment, insisting the young player still has significant ground to cover in terms of fitness.
Robinson said: “I don’t think Lewis is fit enough yet. He has a long way to go before he can last 90 minutes. The only way he can do that is through games to get to the levels I expect from him.”
Smith and fellow young forward Tony Yogane both caught the eye, with Robinson placing considerable importance on their development throughout the coming season.
He noted: “You can see his and Tony’s quality. They are two very young players who we will put a lot of emphasis on. Both will get fitter and stronger, as will the whole squad.”
Playmaker Connor Ronan was another bright performer against Queen’s Park, with Robinson drawing on their shared history at St Mirren to underline his confidence in the midfielder.
Robinson said: “Connor is excellent. I thought he was superb on Saturday. His delivery and quality on the ball was great. He is sometimes three or four steps ahead of everyone.”
Aberdeen also showed improvement from set-pieces, with Dan Happe heading in a Ronan corner just three minutes into the Queen’s Park game to give the side an early platform.
Robinson delivered a direct message to his players regarding defensive set-piece responsibilities, leaving no room for ambiguity about the consequences of failing to deliver.
He stated: “It is something I am drilling into people. They have to step up or they won’t play, it is that simple. They are trusted to mark from set-plays and it is so important they do that.”
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