PRESENT & CORRECT

Dons get Christmas Day break but must return...

- BY SCOTT BURNS

JIMMY THELIN will give his Aberdeen players Christmas Day off - but expects them to return from their festive break by gift-wrapping a win over Dundee United.

Normally Premiership players are in on the 25th but the scheduling of the Premiership fixture card two days later has given managers the scope to allow their squads time off with families and friends.

Thelin has his preparations in place and is confident his team will be ready for Saturday's evening kickoff at Pittodrie in an effort to get back to winning ways against United following last weekend's defeat at Celtic Park.

He said: “The players are on a day off. On Christmas Day, they are off.

“We train tomorrow [the 24th] and the 26th, but on Christmas Day they're off. I think that's a good thing.

“We train up to it and then they give this day to family, friends, whatever they want to do on Christmas.

“I hope everybody has been nice and come back happy on the 26th, and then we go again.”