Bonetti hamstrung for meeting with Dons

Dundee player-manager Ivano Bonetti has virtually ruled himself out of the home meeting with Aberdeen.

The Italian has been struggling with a hamstring problem and has missed training all week so is unlikely to risk himself.

Argentinian striker Claudio Caniggia, Javier Artero and Beto Carranza appear certain to return to the side.

Caniggia will be determined to get back after his wonderful debut in the last meeting between the clubs.

Bonetti said: "It looks as though I will be unfit for the Aberdeen game. But with the likes of Javier Artero and Beto Carranza available we have plenty of options in the wider areas."

The Dens Park club are on a high after coming back from two goals down last week to beat Kilmarnock.

Bonetti is challenging his players to string together another run and finish strongly going into the winter break.

He said: "We will be looking to continue this period. We were unlucky against Celtic because we played very well and they scored late.

"Before that we lost another last-minute goal against St Johnstone, but my players did brilliantly last week to come back from two goals down at Kilmarnock.

"We were magnificent last week and I am hoping that my players, with or without me, can carry that on."

Aberdeen's season has already been blighted by defeat at the hands of Dundee and under-pressure boss Ebbe Skovdahl's unenviable task is to coax a result out of his young side on the back of last week's 6-0 thrashing at Celtic.

That reverse followed a less emphatic defeat at Rangers, although that coincided with the dumping of Eoin Jess onto the sidelines following comments that he was sick of losing with the Dons.

He looks to have played his last game for Aberdeen and was not included in the squad on a day when it was announced that two other players also had no futures at Pittodrie.

Paul Bernard, a £1million buy five years ago, and German import Andreas Mayer have been told they can leave on immediate free transfers if they can find new clubs.

Centre-back Derek Whyte returns to the squad after a leg injury but Cato Guntveit and Kevin McNaughton are both sidelined with leg and back problems respectively.

Skovdahl said: "Dundee have proved they are a very difficult side to beat. They beat us comprehensively here and in Claudio Caniggia they have a player who merits special attention because he is world class."