Peter Ambrose was not present during Aberdeen’s Portugal training camp.

Visa problems have stopped the new summer signing from traveling with his teammates to their training camp. Consequently, the striker has stayed at Cormack Park for the week, where he’ll train with coach Scott Anderson and the under-18 squad. Despite Ambrose’s absence, Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin remains committed to keeping him engaged. He mentioned on RedTV, “Naturally, we want him here, but we have to work with the situation as it stands. The staff at Cormack Park will ensure he remains in good shape and ready. I’ll also schedule some Zoom calls to stay connected and keep his progress on track.”

Players who were on extended international duty have now joined the squad in Portugal, and they are already aware of the schedule for the upcoming week. Manager Thelin outlined the plan, stating, “We’ll have double sessions on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a longer game session. Then, the players will have Thursday off. Since Monday, it’s been daily training to prepare for the season ahead.”

“It’s crucial to unwind both the mind and body, and on Thursday evening, we’ll come together for some bonding with a quiz or something similar,” Thelin remarked. “Assistant Christer Persson will organize it well, and it should be quite enjoyable. Then on Friday, we’ll continue with a double session, and we’ll assess if there’s a match scheduled for Saturday. If not, we’ll have an internal game.”

Reflecting on the team’s progress during the first week, Thelin expressed satisfaction after observing them in a practice match against Cove Rangers at Cormack Park over the weekend. He emphasized the gradual approach to building the team, saying, “It’s a step-by-step process. It’s not as simple as one week and then a break. We definitely need more time, but we’re focused on laying the foundations. Some aspects involve tactics, but it’s also about fostering team spirit, implementing our pressing style, and instilling a strong work ethic.”

“It’s important to build from the beginning and raise the standard every game.

“Games are always nice and it’s good to get a starting point. Now we take ideas from that game from the week before and add things to this. That’s the most important thing.

“It’s been an amazing start and a busy week. I’m really enjoying it.”