Revealed: Why Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin left Alfie Dorrington out of the Uefa Conference League squad

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin revealed he broke the bombshell news to Alfie Dorrington that he was left out of the Conference League squad in a late-night phone call.

Thelin said it was a “tough decision” to omit the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur centre-back from his 25-man pool for the six European league fixtures.

The Reds gaffer insists the call on Dorrington was made in the best interests of the team and the 20-year-old accepts the reasons for missing out on the Conference League.

Dorrington won the Scottish Cup with Aberdeen while on loan last season.

He returned to Pittodrie in the summer transfer window on a season-long loan from Europa League holders Tottenham.

The centre-back started for the Reds in the 2-2 Europa League play-off first leg draw with Romanian club FCSB at Pittodrie last month.

He also came off the bench in the 3-0 loss to FCSB in Bucharest.

However, England under-19 cap Dorrington was a high-profile, shock omission when Thelin named the maximum 17 non-Scots in his Euro squad.

Late-night call with Dorrington

Thelin opted to go for Kristers Tobers and Pittodrie youth academy graduate Jack Milne as his right-sided centre back options for the Conference League.

Latvia international Tobers has yet to feature this season due to a hamstring injury but Thelin says he was included in the Euro squad as he is now fit.

Thelin said: “I talked with Alfie as I called him straight after we made the decision.

“It was quite late in the night when I talked to him.

“It was a good conversation and of course he wants to be inside the squad but he accepts my decision.

“And Alfie has to focus on the right things to be strong enough to compete every week with the amount of games to build his body.

“And also to be consistent at every level.”

However, there could yet be a Euro lifeline for Dorrington due to a last-minute rule tweak from UEFA.

Uefa rule change offers lifeline

The new ruling allows teams to temporarily swap out an injured player for one not previously included in their 25-man squad for Conference League fixtures.

If a player is ruled out by long-term injury and will not feature by matchday six he can be replaced in the squad.

Thelin said: “Everyone wants to be involved in Europe but they understand the demands for the club.

“I understand the experience of playing in Europe is good for the players but we also have to make some decisions.

“Of course some are disappointed but they understand and know they have to keep performing and keep going.

“There has been no problems as everyone is pushing and training very well.

“We also have the League Cup, the Scottish Cup and the Premiership.

“With the league the most important thing as you can show your quality over a long period and you want to be as high as possible there.”

Dorrington is highly rated within Tottenham and signed a contract extension with the Premier League club in January until summer 2029.

Why Dorrington was left out of squad

He made his first team debut in a 5-0 Premier League win against Southampton in December 2024.

Summer signings Kenan Bilalovic, Kjartan Mar Kjartansson and Mitchel Frame have also been left out of the Conference League squad.

On Dorrington’s omission, Thelin continued: “There are also some more out, who are really good players.

“We have four competitions and know that some of the players have certain capacity to compete in these amount of games.

“So we are thinking about sharing the responsibility there and also Tobers is back.

“Gavin (Molloy) has performed really well and there is strong competition.

“Also Gavin can play in two positions which helps balance the squad in Europe.

“It is tough decision and I try to do what’s best for the team and also take of individuals.”

Aberdeen, who face Livingston at Pittodrie on Saturday, are languishing bottom of the Premiership table after three fixtures with zero points and no goals scored.

New signings set for Aberdeen debuts

Since a 1-0 loss to Falkirk, Thelin has bolstered the squad with three signing coups – winger Jesper Karlsson, striker Kevin Nisbet and midfielder Stuart Armstrong.

Swedish international Karlsson, who Bologna paid £10m for in 2023, was secured on a season-long loan from the Italian Serie A club.

Nisbet, who netted 14 goals on loan from Millwall last season, was signed on a three-year deal from the English Championship club for £250,000.

Armstrong penned a two-year deal as a free agent having left Sheffield Wednesday.

Thelin said: “We haven’t started this season with goal-scoring and we know Kevin’s qualities with positioning in the box and finishing.

“He already knows how we play and his role within the team.

“Jesper is a player who I had a long time ago who has qualities around the box, a good finisher and assist maker.

“Stuart is a good responsible football player in how he conducts himself.

“It is a long time since he played but Stuart has done well in the training sessions.

“They look ready and sharp.”

Milanovic in squad despite mammoth journey from New Zealand

Aberdeen winger Nicolas Milanovic made his Australian senior debut when featuring in two wins against New Zealand this week.

He played in a 3-1 win in Auckland on Tuesday but will be in the squad to face Livingston despite the long-haul flight back to the Granite City.

Thelin said: “It was quite a long journey for Nicolas but he is in the squad.

“It was great for him to get his first cap.”

[Source: Press and Journal]