Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee has confirmed that Zander Diamond is nowhere near a return to action.
The defender had ankle surgery in the summer in a bid to deal with problems he’s faced over the last two years.
But the 24-year-old, who has attempted two comebacks in the last seven months - but played just twice - is unable to train at all now.
Aberdeen had been counting on a series of injections to ready him for the next SPL clash against Hearts at the weekend, but the manager admitted that had failed.
"He is nowhere near a comeback," said McGhee. "It's a big worry and we are awaiting a reading on the latest scan on his injured foot.
"We're not even thinking about playing Zander until we get to the bottom of the problem."
Midfielder Fraser Fyvie should be fine for the match after the international weekend after suffering from chest infection last weekend.
McGhee said of the 16-year-old: “Fraser’s asthma makes him more susceptible to chest infections. He didn’t feel well on Friday, so we decided to leave him at home.”
“It’s a condition than can be managed. Fraser will be fine and available for our next game."
