Latest News

Aberdeen are Saturday’s visitors to Fir Park, as third-placed Motherwell take on the fourth-placed Dons in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

Here’s the lowdown on our opponents.

The story so far

Fourth in the league with eight games played, on paper Aberdeen are sitting strong, even if recent results of late have dipped.

Injuries and suspensions are starting to rack up. Lewis Ferguson and Curtis Main miss Saturday’s match through suspension, after picking up red cards in their last match with Hibernian.

Midfielders  Funso Ojo, Craig Bryson and Stephen Gleeson have been out injured, although the latter two have stepped up their recoveries. Ash Taylor also remains out, as does Scott Wright.

Form guide

Aberdeen have won one of their last five, with a 2-0 win at Livingston putting a positive result in their run.

Home draws with Hibernian and St Johnstone have also been picked up. Cup defeat to Hearts on penalties, and a 5-0 loss at Rangers in the league, make up their last five.

How they shaped up last time

Lewis Ferguson and Curtis Main will definitely be missing from the team which drew 1-1 with Hibernian last time out.

Three to watch

Joe Lewis

A mainstay between the sticks for the Dons so far this season, Joe Lewis will be looking to go one better than last season in which he played in all but one of Aberdeen’s 38 Scottish Premiership fixtures.

Committing his future by signing a new five-year contract during the summer, the 32-year-old has set his sights on winning silverware with the Reds.

Lewis has already accumulated three clean sheets in league action so far, though he’s had to pick the ball out on the net on 10 occasions – a figure inflated by the five goals conceded in the heavy defeat to Rangers – the first time the former Cardiff keeper has conceded five goals in his time with the Reds.

Ryan Hedges

After helping Barnsley earn promotion to the Sky Bet Championship last season, winger Ryan Hedges opted to turn down a new deal with the Oakwell side and instead opted to join Aberdeen on a three-year contract.

The Welsh international got off to a great start when he came off the bench to net the winner against Hearts on his Scottish Premiership debut and he’s added further goals against Ross County and St Johnstone.

Hedges has won three caps for his country and his most recent appearances was also his first start for Wales – winning the man-of-the-match award in a 1-0 success over Trinidad and Tobago.

Sam Cosgrove

There can be little doubt that Aberdeen would be much worse off without the goals of Sam Cosgrove.

The former Carlisle striker has netted 14 times in 15 appearances so far, including a Europa League hat-trick against FC Chikhura Sachkhere. He carried his scoring streak form into the league fixtures and has scored half of the Dons’ 10 league goals.

It’s been the perfect response to the critics who jumped on his slow start to his career with Aberdeen. After failing to score in his first 16 appearances there were suggestions that the powerful forward wasn’t capable of making the step up.

Those doubts have been well and truly put to bed now as his next 43 matches have brought an incredible 35 goals – an average of a goal every 110 minutes.

Stephen Robinson spoke to the broadcast media on Friday, ahead of the clash with Aberdeen at Fir Park.

The Motherwell boss talked about the international break, Declan Gallagher’s form and the challenge Aberdeen will pose.

On the international break

“I think that it was seven or eight [players] away, which is hard to work with at times.

“But we’ve got so many good young players at the club. It gives them a chance to be up with the first team and you know, you’re starting to get to know the boys that are 15 and 16 and that are in on day release from school as well.

“And they are training with people like Peter Hartley, you know, so it’s real experience for them. So, yeah, yu can’t do loads of tactical work, but you can certainly bring the club together.”

On Declan Gallagher’s call-up for Scotland

“Really pleased for him. I think he thoroughly deserved it.

“He’s been a real standout performer for us this season and he’s worked very very hard. You know, he’s come in and he’s improved and I think he’s got better and better with each game.

“He’s taken more and more responsibility and he’s becoming a complete player at our level so he’s got his just rewards.

“He didn’t get game time, but that’s just the start. You know, he’s got his call-up. And what he has to do is keep working harder, keep improving and he will be on Steve’s radar.

On the form so far

“I think we’ve got a driven squad of players. We are very young and very much a work in progress.

“We won’t get too carried away with what we’ve done. It’s eight games into the season.

“We’ve started well. I think we can continue to improve, you know, if we can put a full 90 minutes of the quality that we seen against St Mirren, we will be a decent side. But we are yet to do that, so we’re still trying to achieve that.

“I think Aberdeen are a very good side. They’ve got a very good coaching staff in Derek and Tony as well.

“It’s third versus fourth at the moment. It’s only eight games as I said, the league table doesn’t matter too much at the moment, but it’s a test for us. A real test for us.

“We’ve been very good lately and you know, we’ll have the rise to that occasion again and match the physical element Aberdeen bring with it as well, and then try and take the game to them.

“I don’t think it’s just Aberdeen we have to beat. A win for us at this stage of the season, and to stay up in the top regions of the league, is vitally important for us. But I won’t read too much into it all of a sudden we if we manage to beat Aberdeen and then say ‘we’re definitely going to finish third’.

“That’s not the way we look at it. We try and build each week, each game try and keep improving.”

On injuries in the camp

“We’ve got a couple of knocks and bruises, which is always a danger when you run with such a small squad that we have.

“Mark O’Hara and Jake Carroll both are maybe struggling a little bit for tomorrow. It may come again too soon for them. They picked up little niggles during the international break.

“Obviously Charles Dunne, David Turnbull, David Devine are the long-term injuries, and Liam Donnelly is suspended. So we’re down to the bare bones, so to speak, and everyone will be utilised in the squad tomorrow.

On competition for places

“I genuinely believe there’s still a lot more to come, especially from our forward players.

“I think probably for the first time this week, I could probably start both wide players if I chose to.

“Obviously James Scott playing in that area of the pitch scored a wonder goal the other week. So now I’ve got real competition.

“I think before that I could only start either Sherwin or Jermaine, because I didn’t think they could give me 90 minutes.

“Now I think we’re getting to that stage and we’ve used the international break really well to get to that stage. So we’ve got some difficult team selections now to come.”

There’s live video and audio available from Motherwell v Aberdeen on Saturday.

We’ve a live stream of the match available to viewers outside of the UK and Ireland for just £12 a month.

To subscribe and get all Motherwell home matches – and the majority of away games – head to tv.motherwellfc.co.uk now and sign up.

If you’re in the UK or Ireland and can’t make it, don’t worry. We’ve also got live audio commentary of the match for just £5.99 a month.

Head to tv.motherwellfc.co.uk to sign up. Just choose the UK/Ireland commentary option.

2019/20 Motherwell streaming service matches

Declan Gallagher is your Tullibardine Motherwell player of the month for September.

The consistent defender, who also netted against Hearts and contributed to two clean sheets, has been rewarded in the public vote.

Gallagher was up against Liam Polworth, Liam Donnelly and Allan Campbell for the fans to decide.

Motherwell head to Glasgow to take on Rangers on Sunday, 27 October.

The Steelmen go to Ibrox on league duty to take on Steven Gerrard’s side for the first time in the 2019/20 season.

Tickets are available online now or from the Fir Park ticket office, and must be purchased in advance.

Fans who require ambulant or wheelchair access should contact Andy Sim on 07428 225254 or email tickets@mfcdsa.com.

Motherwell are back at home in the first game after the international break, with Aberdeen the visitors to Fir Park on Saturday.

Five wins in six games have the Steelmen sitting third in the table, as they take on difficult opponents in Derek McInnes’ side.

Kick off at Fir Park on Saturday is at 3pm.

Tale of the tape

With 15 points taken from the last 18 available, Motherwell are in form going up against the team sitting one place below them in the league.

Stephen Robinson’s men have also picked up three clean sheets in that time, conceding four.

Aberdeen have won two in the same period in the Premiership, drawing three and losing one.

Wins over Ross County and Livingston went alongside draws with Hibernian, St Johnstone and Kilmarnock, and a heavy away loss at Rangers.

Head to head

Victories have swung back and forth between the two sides over their last five encounters.

Both have won their last two at home, with Aberdeen breaking the trend five games ago with a victory at Fir Park.

There have been no draws in the last 13 games between the two sides, with the last one coming in October 2015 in a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie.

Ticket information

Tickets are available online now or from the Fir Park ticket office. You can also pay at the gate.

The cheaper price is for our John Hunter stand only.

Away supporters can pay at the gate.

Fans who require ambulant or wheelchair access should contact Andy Sim on 07428 225254 or email tickets@mfcdsa.com.

Can’t make it? Watch or listen live

If you’re outside the UK/Ireland, you can watch Motherwell v Aberdeen and the majority of our Ladbrokes Premiership games this season on our live streaming service.

Priced at £12 a month, just head to tv.motherwellfc.co.uk to subscribe.

Wherever you are, there’s also live audio commentary available on our streaming service for £5.99 a month.

Allan Campbell and Barry Maguire both featured as Scotland Under 21s racked up their second successive 0-0 draw on Monday.

The Motherwell midfield pair played in the European Under 21 Championship qualifier in Czech Republic, with Campbell starting and Maguire a substitute early in the second half.

Team-mate James Scott was an unused substitute as Scot Gemmill’s side held onto top spot in the group with four matches played.

Trevor Carson and Liam Donnelly watched on as Northern Ireland also played in the Czech Republic, defeating the full squad 3-2 in a friendly in Prague.

The pair were unused subs as the side returned to form, rushing into a 3-0 first half lead and holding on in the face of a late salvo from the team that defeated England at the weekend.

The games rounded off the international break, which also saw Bevis Mugabi feature in Uganda’s 1-0 win over Ethiopia, and Declan Gallagher an unused substitute for Scotland in their matches with Russia and San Marino.

Motherwell will have more players in international contention on Monday, with Scotland Under 21s and the Northern Ireland first team in action.

Allan Campbell, James Scott and Barry Maguire are all in contention to pull on dark blue, as they take on Czech Republic away in UEFA Under 21 qualifying at 5pm.

The game in Uherske Hradiste comes after a 0-0 draw with Lithuania at home last Friday.

An hour later and 185 miles across the country in Prague, Trevor Carson and Liam Donnelly are in contention to feature for Northern Ireland’s A squad in their friendly with the Czechs.

Bevis Mugabi was in Uganda’s starting team for their 1-0 friendly win in Ethiopia on Sunday.

Declan Gallagher meanwhile was an unused substitute for Scotland in their 6-0 win over San Marino in Euro 2020 qualifying.

Several Motherwell players have joined with their respective nations ahead of a week of international football.

Declan Gallagher was named in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the first time as they face UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying fixtures against Russia in Moscow on Thursday (10 October) and San Marino at Hampden on Sunday (13 October).

Liam Donnelly and Trevor Carson were both included in the Northern Ireland squad for a qualification match in Belfast against the Netherlands on Thursday (10 October) before a trip to Prague to take on the Czech Republic in a friendly match on Monday (14 October).

Bevis Mugabi is in the Uganda squad looking to win his eighth cap with the Cranes square up against Ethiopia in a friendly match in Addis Adaba on Sunday (13 October).

Allan Campbell, Barry Maguire and James Scott were again picked by Scott Gemmill for the Scotland U21 squad. The young Scots sit joint top of their 2021 UEFA European Under 21 qualifying group, having won their opening two matches against San Marino and Croatia. They host Lithuania at Tynecastle Park on Thursday (10 October), before travelling to Uherske Hradiste to take on Czech Republic four days later.

Bevis Mugabi has been called-up for the Ugandan national team for their match against Ethiopia this Sunday.

The 24-year-old arrived last month from Yeovil, but has yet to feature with Declan Gallagher and Peter Hartley both enjoying a rich vein of form.

Mugabi has been a regular for the Cranes since making his debut against São Tomé and Príncipe in Namboole in 2018.

He has gone on to earn a further six caps, including several appearances in this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt when he lined up against Mo Salah, Sadio Mané, Kalidou Koulibaly and Britt Assombalonga amongst others.

The international friendly will take place in Addis Adaba, the Ethiopia capital, this Sunday afternoon.