Aberdeen: Premiership side eager for Sporting Lisbon tie amid Covid disruption
- Published
Aberdeen beat FK Viking 2-0 to set up the meeting with Sporting
Aberdeen are eager to face "iconic" Sporting CP even if the Portuguese giants are depleted due to Covid-19 infections, says boss Derek McInnes.
Sporting recorded 10 positive cases on Wednesday, with their league opener on Saturday in doubt.
They are due to host Aberdeen on Thursday in the Europa League third qualifying round after the Scottish Premiership side defeated FK Viking.
"They're going to have a huge squad to choose from," McInnes said.
"We look forward to it regardless of what team Sporting put out, I'm sure they'll be firm favourites and have a decent level of player, so we've got to go and set about that task, but set about it we will."
Uefa rules stipulate a game will go ahead as long as teams can field 13 players, including one goalkeeper.
Last month Czech Republic were forced to field an entirely new team for a Nations League game against Scotland after two positive cases sent the original squad into isolation.
Eight of Sporting's 10 cases are players, with coach Ruben Amorim also testing positive.
"I don't know who the players are and whether they're key or influential players. Certainly it doesn't make things straightforward for them," McInnes told BBC Scotland after his side's 2-0 win in Norway.
"We're just looking forward to going to one of the iconic teams in world football.
"It was important for my players to get through tonight to try and experience that. We'd have been kicking ourselves if we passed up that opportunity."
What do the rules say?
Uefa's regulations for the 2020-21 Europa League (Annex I) say a game will go ahead despite a positive test if a team has 13 available players, including one goalkeeper.
If they have fewer than 13 players on the originally registered list, Uefa may rearrange the game if the national authority seeks to retest players with the possibility 13 will then be cleared to play (within a set deadline)
Alternatively the affected club may use other players not previously included in the registered squad (effectively submit a new squad to play, provided all players have returned negative tests)
If none of that is possible, the affected club will forfeit the match 3-0 (as happened to Slovan Bratislava in Champions League qualifying)