Emmanuel Gyamfi, a new Aberdeen signing, lifts his club scarf. Newsline/Aberdeen FC provided this information.

For Aberdeen fans eager to see their new-look team play again, the wait is almost over. It’s that time of year when fans assemble in anticipation of seeing both new and familiar faces.

It provides an opportunity to explore formations and partnerships, analyse which combinations work, and make decisions about what is still needed. In other words, we’ll all get to play Aberdeen manager for a few matches. Jimmy Thelin, the Dons’ boss, will make the important decisions.

He begins his own analysis as he and his squad make the short trip across the Granite City on Saturday to face Paul Hartley’s Cove Rangers in a pre-season friendly at Balmoral Stadium.

The players have been put through their paces at the club’s summer training camp in Portugal and now it’s time to return home and begin stepping up the on-field action across the city at the home of their League One opponents.

All eyes on Aberdeen’s new players

The host team will have the distinction of welcome the Scottish Cup holders in their first official match of the new season, so expect a large crowd.

For Aberdeen supporters, all eyes will be on the newcomers: Nicolas Milanovic, Kusini Yengi, Emmanuel Gyamfi, Nick Suman, Kjartan Már Kjartansson, and Adil Aouchiche. Shotstopper Suman, of course, will be in familiar surroundings as he returns to Cove, where he spent the previous two seasons until joining the Dons this summer.

The Australian, who will be joined by two of his compatriots, Milanovic and Yengi, is the only newcomer to the squad with Scottish football experience.

Milanovic, 23, has made quite a name for himself following a successful season with his old team Western Sydney Wanderers. Milanovic, a goalscorer and creator, won the Johnny Warren Medal for best player in the A-League after sweeping the board at his club and earning a call-up to the Australia national team squad for their training camp.

The Red Army will be looking forward to seeing if he can transfer that form into Scottish football and Europe.

Yengi a man with a point to prove

Yengi, an Australian international attacker, is hoping that a move to Scottish football will provide a fresh start after a rough season with Portsmouth.

The 26-year-old possesses the athletic characteristics and an eye for goal. Dons manager Thelin is looking for a centre forward, but his playing time for Pompey was limited last season owing to injury.

 

Clearly, Yengi has a chance to establish his claim for the main striker position if he performs well in the next friendlies. German left-back Gyamfi is another new signing that Dons fans will be excited to see.

The reaction of a player when he goes to another team is a good measure of his rating. In Gyamfi’s instance, Schalke fans were shocked and saddened to see the 20-year-old sold to Aberdeen last month after a successful season on loan with Dutch club VVV-Venlo.

Dons fans will be hoping Gyamfi, a fast, attack-minded left defender, can replace the vacuum left by Jack MacKenzie and James McGarry, both of whom have moved on to pastures new.

Two more players joined in recent days, with young Icelandic midfielder Kjartansson appearing to have a promising future in the game.

Perhaps the most intriguing and exciting addition was former PSG sensation Aouchiche, who arrived on Sunday. The 22-year-old could become Aberdeen’s club record acquisition if he performs well during his season-long loan from Sunderland.

It’s unclear how these new players will fit into Thelin’s master plan, but we’ll get a first look at some, if not all, of them this weekend. That sense of optimism. You can’t beat it.