Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin has expressed confidence in his squad ahead of their William Hill Premiership clash with Kilmarnock at Pittodrie.

Speaking to the media, Thelin highlighted the team's growing stability, increasing competition for places, and their continued push for European qualification. Thelin acknowledged the challenge posed by Kilmarnock but remains optimistic about his side’s preparation.

“I think the team is performing a little bit more stable and better every game now and every training week because of the competition we have inside the squad,” he said.

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"The players look fresh and ready for a new game, and it’s nice to play at home. Kilmarnock are a good team, they are stable, they have a good manager in Derek, and it’s going to be a tough game but we feel ready and prepared.”

Reflecting on the team’s recent form, Thelin stressed the importance of consistency: “You always have to be focused on the next game, whatever happened in the past. The key part for us is to be consistent in the game.”

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Aberdeen’s recent win over Dundee was a morale boost, but Thelin believes the squad’s mentality has been strong throughout the season. “Of course, it’s always nice to win games but I have to say, in this difficult time, we have a strong mentality in this club and everybody’s supporting each other,” he said.

He also praised the team’s resilience: “The drive was always there even if the wins didn’t come so everybody was pushing but of course, you saw the smile on the players' faces when we won the last game and our supporters.”

With injured players returning, Thelin believes the squad is in a much better position. “The competition is healthy. We have good players. That’s what you need during the season because it’s a long season, it’s many games,” he stated. “It’s only a positive that we have a strong competition inside the goalkeeper position, in the centre backs, in the full backs, everywhere on the pitch.”

He reiterated that team selection is based on performance: “Decisions are made every week in every game. It’s nothing new for us to make the decisions when we have to and we’re always going to choose the team we think has the best chance to get us the result.”

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Aberdeen remains committed to securing European football. “Nothing has changed from the beginning of the season. We’re trying to arrive to Europe next season, and that’s what we’re still working for,” Thelin confirmed.

He added: “We still have to grow, we still have to be better. We have a lot of things to improve, but we’re still in the race and we’re still in the competition.”

Thelin provided an update on injured players, saying: “Ester, Dante and Jack Milne trained with the team today. Let’s see when they are back in a position to compete for a position inside the squad. At least they are training now with the team on the pitch. That’s good. It’s difficult to say but they are still maybe around two weeks away from being back.”