Aberdeen's predicted starting line-up to face Celtic in Scottish Cup final at Hampden

Press and Journal

23-05-2025

The wait for the Scottish Cup final is almost over.
Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin must name the starting line-up he feels can deliver a first Scottish Cup success since 1990 for the Dons.
There is plenty for the Swede to ponder.
Will captain Graeme Shinnie be better deployed at left back or in the centre of midfield?
Should Hibernian-bound Jamie McGrath be selected ahead of Pape Gueye?
And what about Aberdeen's player of the year Shayden Morris? Will he be back on the bench for the club's most important game of the season?
Our Press and Journal sports writers have predicted the team Thelin will go with from the start at Hampden.
I expect Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin to stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation even though that has been exposed by Celtic already this season.
One question is who Thelin starts on the right wing – player of the year Shayden Morris or on-loan Preston winger Jeppe Okkels.
It will be Morris because he is a direct, lightning fast player who can open up defences.
Morris can be the catalyst that could ignite a positive start and possibly put Aberdeen ahead.
There's no point putting Morris on as impact substitute when the game is gone.
The remit of what team I expect Dons boss Jimmy Thelin to select rather than the one I would pick makes this a difficult task.
I can't shake off Leighton Clarkson's comment after the league defeat to Celtic that the Dons need to try something different for the final.
With that in mind there are a few big calls to be made by the Aberdeen manager at Hampden, three in defence, one in midfield and two in attack.
Captain Graeme Shinnie has been redeployed at left-back in recent weeks, but with Aberdeen lacking grit in midfield, I can see the skipper being moved back into his usual position in the engine room, probably at the expense of Ante Palaversa.
For that to happen, Alexander Jensen will likely have to switch to left-back, which would allow Nicky Devlin to return at right-back at Hampden.
The other defensive conundrum is whether to select Alfie Dorrington or Kristers Tobers at centre-back. It's as simple as youth versus experience in this one and I suspect experience will win the day for the latter in Thelin's mind.
Topi Keskinen and Kevin Nisbet will play, but there are question marks over the right wing and the number 10 position. Jamie McGrath's workrate and creativity might just give him the nod ahead of Pape Gueye in what will be his final appearance for the club, while the last dilemma is whether to play Shayden Morris or Jeppe Okkels on the right wing.
Morris has been an excellent impact substitute all season and Thelin may just opt for that approach in the final. If he does then Okkels will get the nod for the first hour before Morris joins the action.
Jimmy Thelin is faced with a number of big decisions when it comes to selecting his cup final XI.
Although my personal preference would be different to what's above, that's the side I reckon Thelin will plump for.
After a 5-1 mauling against Celtic at Pittodrie last Wednesday, Aberdeen need to do something different at Hampden.
But given Thelin has stuck a 4-2-3-1 formation all season, personnel tweaks seem more likely than a change to the overall structure of the team.
Given Graeme Shinnie's struggles at left-back last week, a move back into central midfield for the captain to provide more bite and organisation in that area looks logical.
As a result Nicky Devlin could return at right-back with Alexander Jensen moving to the other flank, while I can foresee Thelin going for the experience of Kristers Tobers – despite concerns about his fitness – ahead of Alfie Dorrington at centre-back.
Further forward Kevin Nisbet surely has to start, while Topi Keskinen has also been a regular for most of the season.
The fight for the other wide midfield position looks to be between Shayden Morris and Jeppe Okkels.
Although my preferred option would be Morris, given he's only started 11 of 38 Premiership matches, and Okkels has started 13 of the 21 fixtures played since his arrival, I can see Thelin going with Okkels.
Meanwhile, in the position behind Nisbet I think Jamie McGrath is more likely to start than Pape Gueye because he's more reliable when it comes to fulfilling defensive duties.
The two biggest question marks in the Aberdeen Scottish Cup final side for me are – Who plays in defence, particularly left-back? And who fills the wide attacking roles?
Aberdeen's 5-1 Premiership defeat at home to Celtic last midweek was brutal for Dons skipper Graeme Shinnie – who, despite a resurgence back at left-back prior to the Hoops' visit, was badly exposed by fellow veteran James Forrest and hooked early.
However, Shinnie retained his place in the defeat to Dundee United at the weekend, and given the skipper's personality and surefire determination to right recent wrongs, I think Jimmy Thelin will stick by him.
You don't drop your on-field general for a cup final, do you?
At centre-half, Dutchman Mats Knoester will keep his place, despite his own nightmare in the recent meeting with Celtic, but I think Alfie Dorrington, sent off in the game, will be reinstalled to the line-up over Kristers Tobers – as the Latvia captain has only recently returned from injury and wasn't looking overly fit at Tannadice.
Looking at Thelin's starting team on Tayside, I was struck by the omission of wingers Topi Keskinen and Shayden Morris – who I think were dropped to save every ounce of their dual explosive pace for the big pitch at Hampden.
And it's got to be Jamie McGrath at no.10 in his final game for the Reds, which will hopefully help ensure a more-disciplined press than the somewhat unpredictable Pape Gueye would.
While there is room for manoeuvre in the defensive positions, the greatest intrigue lies in the attacking areas for me.
It could be argued that Shayden Morris' greatest impact this season has come as a substitute. But it would not surprise me if Jimmy Thelin elects to throw him in from the start – as staying in the game in the early stages holds the key to any hope of success.
There have been question marks over Topi Keskinen's end product, but I saw enough from the semi-final against Hearts to suggest his pace could be an asset at Hampden.
I would also not be surprised to see Pape Gueye get the nod to support Kevin Nisbet. His physicality could prove an important weapon for any set-piece opportunities – as he showed against the Jambos.