Coach Jimmy Thelin of Aberdeen “feels sorry” for Clarkson following his injury.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin expressed his frustration over another key injury setback, revealing that midfielder Leighton Clarkson is expected to be out for the first two months of the William Hill Premiership season.

The influential 22-year-old playmaker, who netted two goals in Aberdeen’s Premier Sports Cup fixtures last month, was substituted in the 55th minute of last weekend’s 6-0 win over Dumbarton.

It was revealed on Friday that Clarkson has sustained a shoulder fracture and could be sidelined for up to eight weeks as a result.

The extent of the former Liverpool academy player’s injury marks a new setback for the Dons’ pre-season, coming just weeks after midfielder Dante Polvara was sidelined for several months due to a torn hamstring.

A statement from the Dons read: “The manager has today confirmed that Leighton Clarkson has sustained a shoulder injury that will keep him out for up to eight weeks.”

Thelin added: “I feel sorry for Leighton. He’s a good guy who started the season really well and has been important for us. But that’s football; we need to find solutions for him and for Dante, who is also unavailable. That’s our job now.”

“Sometimes it opens up opportunities for other players,” Thelin continued. “We certainly feel that both Dante and Leighton are great individuals and players, and it’s tough when they face setbacks like this. But they have our full support, and we hope they come back stronger and continue to bring positive energy to the locker room.”

In addition to dealing with injuries, the recently appointed Thelin has also faced uncertainty regarding the future of key forward Bojan Miovski. Miovski has attracted interest from Espanyol, Bologna, and Genoa, adding to the challenges for Thelin.

The North Macedonia international made just one substitute appearance during Aberdeen’s four Premier Sports Cup group fixtures. However, Thelin is confident that Miovski is in contention to feature in Monday’s league opener against St Johnstone.

“For me, he is still an Aberdeen player, and that’s where our focus is,” said Thelin. “We have a game on Monday, he is training fully and giving everything in practice, so he will definitely be in the squad, and he might even start.”