Jim Goodwin tells Aberdeen striker: 'You're not fit enough to play in my team'

Jim Goodwin has told Jay Emmanuel-Thomas that he is not fit enough to play in his Aberdeen team.

The 31-year-old striker, who signed from Livingston last summer, was on the bench against Motherwell for Goodwin's first game in charge of the Dons last month but remained unused and has not featured in the subsequent three matches.

Ahead of the cinch Premiership game against Hibernian on Saturday, where Goodwin looks for his first win as boss of the Granite City club, the former St Mirren manager said: "I had a good conversation with Jay when I came in.

"He has a little bit of work to do physically. It's as simple as that.

"He is not fit enough to play the type of football that I want us to play.

"I have been very honest with him on that. He knows what he has to do.

"He is working hard behind the scenes, he is doing extra with the sports science team and that's all we can ask of him at the moment."

Goodwin revealed some good news on the injury front with defender Andy Considine, out since last August with a cruciate ligament injury, and forward Marley Watkins, who has not played since injuring his foot against Dundee on Boxing Day, are back in the squad.

The Pittodrie boss, whose side are 10th with three games remaining before the split albeit only five points behind fourth-placed Hibs, said: "Andy Considine is back in among things with the squad, as is Marley Watkins.

"I am not suggesting for a minute that I am expecting miracles from the two guys, they have been out for a hell of a long time so we need to be fair to them and manage them properly.

"So we have had good dialogue with the medical team and the sports science team to put a plan together to see when the earliest opportunity we can get the guys back onto the pitch