How are Aberdeen shaping up for busy campaign as Europe beckons?
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Aberdeen players are preparing for a busy autumn
Aberdeen's returning captain, Graeme Shinnie, earlier this summer said "squad rotation will probably be big this season as well".
A simple sounding statement that could well be key for the Pittodrie side as they face a battle on up to four fronts this coming season.
Last season's third-place finish in the Scottish Premiership guaranteed European group stage participation until Christmas in either the Europa or Europa Conference League. The Dons will also aim to fare better in the Scottish Cup after an early exit last term.
So how is Barry Robson's side shaping up?
Robson will have to factor in at least eight European games in the form of the Europa League play-off round's two legs and the six group games in either the Europa or the Conference League that will follow.
"It is a different challenge for us," Shinnie said. "We are going to be coming back from away trips early in the morning." Quite rightly, he points out that "recovery is going to be key to then go again on a Sunday".
Lessons to be learned from Hearts
Heart of Midlothian faced exactly the same scenario last term. But what impact, if any, did their continental commitments have on their bread and butter Scottish games?
By far the strongest team outside the Old Firm in season 2021-22, games against Fiorentina, Istanbul Basaksehir and RFS of Latvia followed defeat in the Europa League play-off to Zurich.
As a result, Robbie Neilson's team faltered before their manager left and their grip on third slipped during a marathon campaign as the Dons knocked them into fourth by season's end.
Hearts ultimately finished third in their Conference League group and, between the first leg of their play-off on 18 August and their final group game on 3 November, had 10 domestic fixtures, nine in the league and one in the Viaplay Cup.
They lost the latter, going down 1-0 at home to Kilmarnock, with then Tynecastle boss Neilson admitting "the culmination of so many games showed today". In terms of those Premiership fixtures, they mustered just the three wins, losing five and drawing one.
Their form picked up after early November, for a few months anyway, as they went on a run of just two defeats in their next 15 games before a post New Year slump kicked in.
Former Aberdeen player and manager Willie Miller thinks "the European adventure will throw up its own challenges".
"Hearts found that out last season where it put a lot of pressure on their squad, a lot of pressure on the size of the squad, picking up injuries as well, which is a huge part of whether you get through that period," he told BBC Scotland.
"You need a little bit of luck to get through it without too many injuries, but as Hearts proved last season, they picked up a number of injuries that set them back a bit in the early part of the season."
The question is - how can Robson mitigate against the same thing happening to Aberdeen? Having a big squad looks to be the main solution.
The Dons have been busy so far during the summer, with eight players checking in at Pittodrie - that includes Shinnie and midfielder Leighton Clarkson both returning to the club on a permanent basis following loan spells.
And, while there are certain to be more new faces arriving before the transfer window closes, as things stand, Aberdeen remain slightly down on numbers from last season - one where they only had domestic affairs with which to contend.
'Not just a case of having enough numbers'
There are certain to be further new arrivals, with Robson expecting one before Saturday's opening league game against Livingston.
So it will be fascinating to see how many more check into Pittodrie - and whether they will be able to hold on to Ylber Ramadani after a bid was rejected for the Albania midfielder this week.
"Numbers are important," Miller added. "Nowadays, players tend to pick up injuries on a regular basis and, when they are put under pressure, that tends to happen.
"You have got to try to cover for that, but it is not just a simple case of having enough numbers.
"The quality has got to be there as well. So it is a balancing act. It is bringing in the funds but not overspending or not being taken advantage of by players or selling clubs.
"You might have to look at the loan situation as well and make sure, for the first half of the season at least, that you have got loan players in that you can rely on."
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