Pittodrie plays host to Derek McInnes’s Dons and the Hoops of Neil Lennon, who seek to bring the Scottish Premiership title back to Parkhead.
Ahead of their Scottish Premiership meeting with Celtic on Saturday, Aberdeen fans have received one piece of good news and one bad going into the game.
On Wednesday, the Dons proudly announced that goalkeeper and fan favourite Joe Lewis has signed a new contract which will take him through to the summer of 2024.
The 31-year-old has been an ever-present for Aberdeen this season, playing 47 times, but his original deal was set to run out at the end of the 2019-20 season.
Aberdeen made the announcement on Twitter on Wednesday and the fan reaction said it all:
With the Scottish Premiership title hopefuls coming to Pittodrie in what will be Lewis’s first game since penning the new contract, it would normally be a huge boost.
On the flip side, however, Aberdeen will have to take to the pitch without Derek McInnes in the dugout after he was handed a one-match ban following his dismissal in the Scottish Cup semi-final against the Hoops.
The 47-year-old gestured towards Celtic fans who were singing a sectarian song at him during the game, and he said he hoped a Scottish FA misconduct hearing on Thursday would take into account “mitigating circumstances” but the charge against him was upheld (Press and Journal).
McInnes has also been given an additional one-game ban, suspended until the end of next season, while assistant manager Tony Docherty was also sent to the stands in the semi-final by referee Craig Thomson, also charged with committing misconduct, and accepted an offer of a one-match suspension.
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