Ankle injury ‘a real blow’ to Aberdeen’s Jamie Mercer amid left-back slot ‘opportunity’, as loan exit weighed up

Aberdeen head coach Stephen Robinson has described Jamie Mercer’s pre-season ankle injury as “a real blow” for the youngster when he had the chance to stake a claim to be the Dons left-back for the start of the campaign.

On Tuesday, The Press and Journal revealed how first-choice Aberdeen left-back Emmanuel Gyamfi faces an uncertain recovery timeline from a persistent thigh injury.

Gyamfi has had to return to a London specialist for an injection, and the 21-year-old could be out of action beyond mid-August.

Robinson has admitted left-back could now “be an issue” for the Reds.

Youth academy graduate Mercer, 18 – who had already been training with Robinson’s first-team in the closing weeks of last term – started on the left side of defence in the recent 1-0 pre-season friendly victory over Cove Rangers.

Mercer then travelled to last week’s warm-weather camp in the Netherlands, but rolled his ankle during an 11v11 training game in Delden.

The injury is expected to keep Mercer out for “two to three weeks minimum”, by which point Aberdeen will have played most (or all) of their Premier Sports Cup group games, with the Premiership season kicking off at home to Hearts on Saturday, August 1.

Robinson said: “Jamie was doing really well.

“And with Emma injured, there was an opportunity there at left-back. So it’s a real blow for the boy.

“He’s been so, so unlucky with injuries over the past two years, before I came, with hamstring injuries.

“And then he gets a knock in training, which is purely accidental.”

Will Mercer be sent out on loan by Aberdeen this season?

Mercer was one of a clutch of Aberdeen youngsters rewarded with a new deal towards the end of last term.

He celebrated by being named in a Dons first-team matchday squad for the first time in the top-flight season-closer away at Dundee.

In May, then-Aberdeen interim pathways manager praised Mercer for overcoming his “chequered” past of hamstring issues to fight his way into the senior picture at the Reds.

Aberdeen, including Robinson and Stephen Craigan, who was recently appointed as a first-team coach with a dual responsibility for steering homegrown talents’ development at the Dons, are assessing whether Mercer will be loaned out for regular action in the new campaign.

Mercer was loaned to Elgin City at the start of last season, but, due to his hamstring issues, wasn’t able to feature for League Two loan club until he rejoined the Moray side in February.

Robinson said: “He’s got plenty of time to come back. We know he probably needs to go and play football and get a loan.

“But let’s see how he comes back first of all before we make that decision.”

Robinson: Mercer has ‘pace and energy to be left-back’

Previously viewed as a centre-back, youth coach Duff described Mercer as “technically sound, but a proper defender’s defender”, who is “very aggressive, direct, quick, strong”.

Aberdeen gaffer Robinson sees Mercer’s future as being at left centre-half or at left-back, where as well as Gyamfi, the Dons also have Mitchel Frame and Gavin Molloy as options.

“Potentially (left-back) or left of a back three,” Robinson said.

“Obviously, with us looking at a (back-)four at this moment in time, then he’s got the pace and energy to be a left-back certainly.

“And that may be developed further, as I say, on loan or with ourselves.”

Robinson pushing Aberdeen players

While Mercer’s injury in the Netherlands was purely accidental, Dons boss Robinson – who was appointed in March and steered Aberdeen clear of relegation peril last term – thinks some niggles are unavoidable as he tries to build a fitter, more intense Reds side.

He said: “Some have not been used to being pushed this hard, so you’re going to pick up and lose people along the way sometimes.

“But I’m not dropping my levels.

“It’s for other people to get to the level of fitness that we want and the demands that we want, and that’s the way it has to be.

“They have to get to that level.”

[Source: Press and Journal]