Aberdeen right-back Nicky Devlin faces an anxious wait to discover whether he will play again this season, with the 32-year-old poised to see a specialist for the knee injury he suffered last weekend against Heart of Midlothian. (Press & Journal), external
Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.
Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
Image source, SNSDunfermline manager Neil Lennon insists his side are "massive underdogs" in Saturday's Scottish Cup quarter-final despite managerless Aberdeen's struggles.
The Dons have just one Premiership win in 2026 and head to East End Park having failed to score in their past seven away games.
Lennon, whose side stunned Hibs at home in the previous round, said: "I've watched Aberdeen three times now – twice against Motherwell and obviously last night [against Celtic].
"So we have a fair idea of their style. They can change formation and change personnel and they've got quite a big squad.
"We have an idea of how they're going to play, or how they may play away from home. They're better at home but they're a top team and they're the holders of the competition, so we're massive underdogs. It's a game we're really looking forward to."
Lennon aims to use the 1-0 victory over Hibs as a template as he eyes another top-flight scalp in front of a sellout crowd.
"I was really pleased with the way the players handled the occasion against Hibs. The mentality was good, so we're going to need more of that again," he said.
"Anything can happen in a cup competition - I've known it for and against.
"As a player, a highlight was winning the treble with Celtic against Hibs [in 2001]. Another highlight was the final against Hibs when I was manager and we won 3-0. It was a great day.
"My first trophy as a manager was the Scottish Cup against Motherwell. It's been a competition that's been very good to me. I can't complain."
Highlights: Nygren scores as Celtic beat Aberdeen
We asked for your views after Aberdeen's poor form continued with a 2-1 defeat at home to Celtic.
Here are some of your comments:
Andy: That's perhaps the poorest Celtic side I've seen at Pittodrie for some time and the were certainly beatable, however they still managed to defeat the Dons. Heads seemed to go down when Celtic's second goal went in and Aberdeen showed, yet again, their inability to respond in times of adversity. A soft centre.
Spencer: If Groundhog Day was reworked Aberdeen FC could be the main character in its own movie, that's what it feels like. We are drifting into no man's land, no plan it seems, a stadium falling apart and a rudderless team, we need to be very careful navigating our way through the bottom six. Hopefully a new manager will work through the summer to rebuild again.
Eric: Much stronger overall performance with more fight, just small errors in judgement the difference between the two sides. Could have easily won the game on chances. Another performance like that in the cup and we should progress, but we will need those sort of performances till the end of the season.
Spencer: A tough watch for the first and last 20 minutes. Far too negative. Far too slow on the counter. Offer very little hope in our attacks. Lucky to get a penalty. Lyall Cameron's been a fantastic wee addition to the team. Wish I could say the same for some of the others. But that's our top-six hopes almost completely faded.
Fred: A better performance but still lost. We were outplayed the last 30 minutes and unfortunately carried no goal threat, other than a well-taken penalty. Definitely bottom six now. I hope we can beat Dunfermline or our season is wasted.
Marti: First goal a shocker yet again, a soft penalty and then of course we concede from a set-piece. The quicker this season ends the better.
Image source, SNSPeter Leven believed there was scope for an injury-time Aberdeen penalty when Reo Hatate dived into a tackle on Lyall Cameron during Celtic's 2-1 win at Pittodrie.
Midfielder Cameron rode the challenge but overran the ball as the hosts' late pressure failed to yield an equaliser.
"The players need to be a bit more streetwise," said interim boss Leven.
"Lyall needs to ask the question later on when Hatate goes in.
"I think he was too honest in trying to stay on his feet. There could have been contact there."
Leven was also unconvinced Benjamin Nygren was onside for his winner during a lengthy VAR check that ruled Gavin Molloy's foot was playing the Swede on.
"It looks offside, but then again, why is there not two lines drawn?" he said.
"There was only one line drawn on our player. I thought there was always to be two lines drawn."
Highlights: Nygren scores as Celtic beat Aberdeen
Watch highlights of Celtic's narrow win at Pittodrie which sent them into second in the Scottish Premiership, while ending Aberdeen's top-six hopes.
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Celtic move above Rangers into second place in the Scottish Premiership - and within five points of leaders Hearts - but were made to work hard for their win by determined hosts Aberdeen.
Image source, SNSAberdeen interim manager Peter Leven: "It was frustrating.
"I thought the boys put a good shift in, but at the end of the day we've still come out with zero points.
"They came back strong, worked really hard and got a goal back - and I thought we started the second half really well.
"We kept Celtic in their half.
"Kevin [Nisbet] had a great header, it was a great save, but then we just lost our way a wee bit in the second half and looked a wee bit tired."
Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, Getty ImagesAfter all the noise around Eirik Horneland potentially becoming Aberdeen's new manager, the trail went cold until a new candidate emerged this week.
Chairman Dave Cormack confirmed former Mainz and New York Red Bulls boss Sandro Schwarz is in the city for talks with the club over the vacancy.
So what would Aberdeen be getting in the 47-year-old German?
Schwarz is a friend and former Mainz team-mate of Jurgen Klopp and favours the same high-intensity, counter-pressing style his compatriot deployed to impressive effect at Liverpool.
Schwarz had instant success in his first permanent managerial job, leading FC Eschborn to promotion to Germany's fourth tier before returning in 2013 to boyhood club Mainz.
After four years in charge of the Under-19s and latterly reserves, Schwarz was appointed Mainz manager in 2017 and kept the club in the Bundesliga with 12th and 14th-place finishes in his two full seasons.
"Schwarz was a very good fit at the time," says Bundesliga commentator Derek Rae.
Writing on X, Rae added: "Clear playing style: Gegenpressing, high energy but still with possession elements. Identified with the club and fans and showed his emotional side. Good with younger players.
"When you last two years in a Bundesliga job now, you're doing something right. It's well above average in what is a top league."
Schwarz departed in November 2019 with Mainz in the relegation zone, but he was back in work less than a year later at Russian side Dynamo Moscow, where he won 31 of his 57 matches for a win rate of 54% and a points per game of 1.8.
He steered Dynamo to a first top-three finish in 14 years and the Russian Cup final, where they lost to Spartak Moscow on penalties in his last game at the helm.
Then it was back to Germany to manage Hertha Berlin but he lasted just eight months and lost 16 of his 29 matches (17% win rate). Schwarz was sacked with six games of the season left before Hertha slipped to relegation.
"There aren't many BSC fans would would lay the blame at his door," Rae said.
"The club was in a bad way off the pitch the year before and stayed up in the relegation play-off. Since their 2023 demotion, no one has got them particularly close to promotion."
Schwarz didn't have long to wait until his next job, taking charge of New York Red Bulls in December 2023.
During his two years in the MLS, Schwarz won 28 and lost 26 of 81 games (a win rate of just over 30%) and led the club to just their second MLS Cup final in his first season before missing out on the play-offs the following campaign.
But Rae thinks the links to Schwarz can only be a positive thing for the Dons.
"This is a very experienced Bundesliga, Gegenpressing coach who you would not normally expect to consider Aberdeen," he added.
"Similarly Aberdeen might have felt in the past an appointment like this would be too ambitious."
Image source, SNSChairman Dave Cormack "deserves credit" for communicating with supporters but managerless Aberdeen are "drifting".
That's the view of Michael Grant - Scottish football correspondent for The Times - who sat down with Cormack this week to update supporters on the club's manager search.
"I think he deserves credit for speaking because he gets accused of lacking transparency, the club gets accused of that, and the chairman has fronted up," Grant told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.
"The answers probably are not going to please a lot of supporters because there still isn't clarity on the manager. He's tried to explain why there's delays in it, but the bottom line is they still don't have a manager.
"The recruitment has been really poor for Aberdeen this season and I think they know that."
Grant suggested the return of Darren Mowbray as head of recruitment is a positive in a dismal season for the Pittodrie club, who languish eighth in the Premiership before tonight's visit of Celtic.
"Darren Mowbray is the guy who found Bojan Miovski and Ylber Ramadani and Shayden Morris and Duk and all of these guys delivered for the club and also delivered a transfer fee, a really significant one in Miovski's case," he said.
"I think they feel Mowbray has been the best of a number of heads of recruitment they've had recently and he's back. So looking forward to the summer and future windows that might be encouraging.
"But for the here and now they still look like a club or a team at least that is kind of drifting."
Liam McLeod
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator
The Aberdeen malaise continued at Tynecastle as they limped to a defeat in a fixture the home team appears immune to defeat in, regardless of the venue.
It also extended the Dons' mortifying run to one win in 12 Premiership matches and they still haven't scored a goal away from home in 2026, and just seven all told this term.
It was a narrow 1-0 defeat in Edinburgh but in reality, it was a comfortable afternoon for the hosts whose position in the table has seen envious eyes cast south at what is going on there.
While the Hearts supporters and their manager celebrated at the end, Peter Leven was left to sift through the wreckage after his team failed to register a single shot target and not for the first time this season.
How the Dons fans wish they were where Hearts and Motherwell are and challenging for the league title. They have picked the worst possible season to crash and burn given the points spilled by the two Glasgow clubs across the campaign.
The top six is gone, something that will be confirmed by another defeat by Celtic on Wednesday and as dispiriting as it will be for them, the only real positives on Saturday came elsewhere as Dundee, St Mirren and Kilmarnock all dropped points.
The defeat to Derek McInnes' league leaders means Aberdeen have taken just four points from 42 available against sides in the top half of the table. That is a damning statistic.
It's difficult to know where the Dons' next league win is coming from.
After Celtic's visit to a venue they haven't lost at since 2016, the Dons face Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals in Fife.
They then host top-six bound Falkirk, visit Rangers and St Mirren before Hibs go to Pittodrie prior to the split.
Relying on results elsewhere would be a dangerous game.
Image source, SNSAberdeen remain winless in 33 meetings with Celtic in all competitions (D7 L26) since a 1-0 league victory in May 2018.
Celtic have won 15 of their past 18 away league visits to Aberdeen (D3) since losing successive trips there in the 2015-16 season under Ronny Deila.
Aberdeen have lost two of their past three home league games (W1), more than in their previous eight beforehand (W3 D4 L1). The Dons could lose back-to-back league matches at Pittodrie for only the second time this season, having done so in their opening two home fixtures of this Premiership campaign.
Celtic have won 20 of their past 22 league matches played on a Wednesday, while the exceptions in this run were away defeats to Hibernian in May 2023 (4-2) and Dundee United in December 2025 (2-1).
Kevin Nisbet has scored a double in his past two home league appearances for Aberdeen and could net in three successive home league matches for the first time. Nisbet has also scored in two of his past three home league appearances against Celtic.
Heltne Sivert Nilsen believes a high turnover of player has damaged Aberdeen's season. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external
Aberdeen goalkeeper Per Kristian Bratveit and defender Nicky Devlin will miss both Wednesday's Scottish Premiership visit of Celtic and the Scottish Cup trip to face Dunfermline Athletic on Saturday. (Press and Journal - subscription required), external
Image source, SNSDarren Mowbray - the talent spotter who brought Bojan Miovski and Ylber Ramadani to Pittodrie - has been reappointed as Aberdeen's head of recruitment.
The Englishman previously spent two years in the role before leaving in summer 2023 to join Southampton.
Mowbray replaces the outgoing Nuno de Almeida, who was head of recruitment under former boss Jimmy Thelin.
Sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel said: "In recent months Darren has been acting for the club in an advisory capacity but we are really pleased he has now agreed to return to the head of recruitment role.
"His work last time unearthed several significant signings that went on to not only perform well for Aberdeen but made the club many millions of pounds in transfer fees.
"We have invested a great deal in our scouting infrastructure over the last 12 months and Darren will be able to build on that and give us a strong platform for many years to come.
"With Darren joining us, I would also like to thank Nuno de Almeida for all his hard work and effort in his time with Aberdeen and we wish him well for his future career."
Having sacked Thelin in early January Aberdeen are still searching for a permanent manager, with former New York Red Bulls boss Sandro Schwarz currently in the city for talks.
Image source, SNSInterim manager Peter Leven urged Aberdeen to use home advantage when they welcome title-chasing Celtic to Pittodrie on Wednesday night.
Celtic came from 2-0 down against Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday to draw 2-2 and a win against the Dons would take them one point ahead of their Old Firm rivals and five behind leaders Hearts.
Aberdeen are also on the hunt for a much-needed win. Their 1-0 defeat against Hearts on Saturday leaves them with four defeats and a draw in their past five league games and sitting eighth in the table.
"It's not been good enough," Leven said of the Dons' recent form. "I've spoken about that, we're trending in the wrong way and we need to pick that up.
"But it's a home game [on Wednesday], albeit it's Celtic. We've got to take advantage of the home pitch, the fans, and get maximum points.
"Celtic are a good team, but we're also a good team on our day. We need to bring it. It needs to be a 95-minute performance, we need that.
"We haven't had many of those this season. But we're at home. A good team, but we shouldn't fear anybody, this is a huge club, the boys should know that and anyone coming to Pittodrie should be in for a tough game."
Image source, SNSAberdeen defender Nicky Devlin misses out against Celtic after picking up a knock against Hearts, where Tom McIntyre was absent through injury. Emmanuel Gyamfi is working his way back to fitness.
Mats Knoester (concussion), Kristers Tobers (knee) and Nick Suman (ankle) remain out.
Celtic number one keeper Kasper Schmeichel remains out with illness while Martin O'Neill has a couple of players carrying niggles.
Auston Trusty serves the second of a three-match ban. Arne Engels (leg), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Achilles), Jota (knee), Alistair Johnston and Callum Osmand (both hamstring) remain out.
Glen Schreuder
Fan writer
Five league games without a win and still no goals on the road in 2026. But hey, at least the club have decided now is the right time to start selling next term's season tickets.
A defeat at Tynecastle is about as inevitable as a Dons victory over the Jambos when they come to Pittodrie.
The meek attempt to lay a glove on the leaders was hugely disappointing. Poor defending led to the game's only goal and no shots on target for the visitors meant it was another forgettable 90 minutes for Dons fans.
It's a big week and now Wednesday night's visit of Celtic to Pittodrie is about trying not to further dent confidence and morale before a hugely important Scottish Cup quarter-final at Dunfermline on Saturday.
We have long said the cup run has papered over the cracks. Let's hope the worse-case scenario doesn't happen this weekend, or the cracks really will be revealed.
Image source, SNSFormer striker Chris Sutton says he would not be surprised if Celtic drop points against Aberdeen on Wednesday.
The champions play their game in hand at Pittodrie knowing a win would take them second, one point above Rangers and five behind Hearts with nine game left.
Despite Aberdeen winning just one of their past 12 matches Sutton says a victory for Celtic - who fought back from two down for a point at Ibrox on Sunday - is far from certain.
"It wouldn't surprise me on Wednesday night if Celtic, after the comeback of the weekend, went up to Pittodrie and drew the game," Sutton told BBC Scotland.
"And that's because I just haven't been convinced with Celtic this season.
"You watch Celtic all season and you're not quite sure. Going into a game over the last however many seasons, a Celtic team going to Ibrox or in a big game, you could pick the team with your eyes closed.
"At the weekend, everybody's thinking: well, who's Martin [O'Neill] going to play? Because the Celtic players haven't performed at a certain level this season, so there's a lot of competition for places.
"Martin's finding a way to keep Celtic in the title race. But it's a massive game on Wednesday.
"But just because of the nature of what's happened this season, it wouldn't be a shock to anybody if Celtic went up there and drew or lost."
Image source, Getty ImagesManagerial target Eirik Horneland would bring "modern" football to Aberdeen if the Pittodrie board land the Norwegian, says the club's former striker Arild Stavrum. (Press & Journal), external
'Aberdeen could be in danger soon' - Sportscene analysis
Sportscene pundit Richard Foster believes former side Aberdeen "could be in danger soon" if they fail to have an upturn in form.
The Dons have won just once in their past 12 league matches, losing nine of those, and are eight points above the relegation play-off spot.
The Pittodrie club welcome title-chasing Celtic in a rearranged Scottish Premiership fixture on Wednesday.
Saint-Etienne midfielder Ben Old says new head coach Philippe Montanier has led the side to the top of Ligue 2 following four straight victories because he introduced more structure and pragmatism to the team since the departure of Aberdeen manager target Eirik Horneland. (The Herald), external
Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.
Watch all the action as Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts pick up another three points against Aberdeen.
We asked for your views on Aberdeen's 1-0 loss against Hearts.
Here's what some of you said:
David: This has to be the worst Aberdeen team I have witnessed. They struggle in defence or attack. Sorely lacking leadership on or off the field. This could be the season they go down. Massive turnaround required to finish this season and for next year.
Bob: We have assembled, at huge cost, possibly the worst squad of players in living memory. Would like to know who is responsible. The only reason we won't be relegated is Livi and Killie are even worse.
Andy: The result was as good as could've been expected. We gave them a game in parts but all too often the distribution was found wanting. Roll on the end of the season.
Malky: I put more effort into these messages than Aberdeen do on the pitch. It's becoming Groundhog Day. Slow all over the pitch, zero cutting edge, easy to defend against and easy to score against.
Slow to second balls, passing amongst the defenders and even that isn't quick enough, we're three yards off the pace every single week! Enough is enough.
We are sleepwalking into another Jimmy Thelin-type appointment with another largely unknown coming into the SPFL wholly unprepared. We are a complete and utter shambles.
David: This was a one-sided 1-0 hammering! It's all very well Peter Leven and Lyall Cameron saying Hearts are beatable, but as usual we had neither the players or the set-up to make that happen. Another addition to the coaching team - why? Get a new manager now.
Niall: There was a sense of inevitability today and so it turned out but, again, defensive frailties and no goal threat has doomed the Dons to a bottom-six dogfight for Premiership survival is all that is left for this season.
Alfon: No surprises, I don't think many Dons fans thought we'd get anything from this game. Struggling to see this team pick up any points before the split, meaning we could easily be pulled into that relegation play-off. Based on the money spent I think this is worst Aberdeen side ever assembled.
