Players will forget about Celtic - Butcher

TERRY Butcher is confident that his players will not need telling from him to quickly forget all about their history-making win over Celtic.

Caley Thistle recorded their first-ever league victory in 10 attempts at Parkhead as Billy McKay’s goal gave them a deserved 1-0 triumph in the East End of Glasgow.

It was a result Butcher declared as his best since being appointed Inverness manager three years ago, but there has been little time to reflect too much on such a momentous success.

Aberdeen, currently second in the Scottish Premier League table, loom large on the horizon with Caley Thistle making the trip to Pittodrie tonight.

It is another stern test on the back of having beaten the reigning league champions, but Butcher is certain that his players are not about to rest on any laurels in the aftermath of what they achieved at the weekend.

"We’ve got a good dressing room and the players will very quickly be bringing each other back down to earth," he said.

"In some ways, it’s a bit disappointing because you want to enjoy the Celtic result, but having said that you’re now playing a team like Aberdeen, so we’re going to be coming up against the first and second place teams in the SPL in a matter of days, which is quite a test.

"With the form that Aberdeen are in and the results they have had this season, then you can’t really dwell on Celtic."

The match at Aberdeen presents Caley Thistle with another considerable road trip just three days after making the journey to Celtic.

The fixture scheduling might not be ideal, but Butcher is not one to complain.

Instead, the Caley Jags boss views the fixture against Aberdeen as the ideal game, forcing Inverness to quickly turn their attentions to what awaits them in the Granite City.

"In a way it’s good the Aberdeen game comes along so quickly because you have no choice but to put the Celtic match to the back of the mind," said Butcher.

"I remember when Kilmarnock beat Celtic and their next game was against us.

"They had a week to dwell on the great win at Parkhead then they played us and we beat them.

"It’s now about us just getting on with it because what happened against Celtic can’t influence the Aberdeen game.

"You have to separate Celtic from Aberdeen as quickly as possible. Once we do that and let it go then we’ll be fine."

Aberdeen insist they could have as many as 10 players from their first-team squad sidelined, but Butcher knows that whatever team the Dons put out then it will be a strong one.

"We’ll see what Aberdeen do," he said. "They’ve got their problems, but we’ve still got potentially five out just now, which is probably equal to what they will have out.

"However, we just carry on and do what we do. The players are really enjoying it and gelling together well.

"It’s another game that we want to do well in, but we know the threat that Aberdeen have got in players like Jonny Hayes.

"They’ve got other players there too, but it’s great test for us.

"We’ve been tested out so many times this season, yet there haven’t been many cases where we’ve not managed to come up with the answers.

Butcher is hopeful that Shane Sutherland should be fit after sustaining a knock to his knee against Celtic, while Ross Draper was due to return to training yesterday as he recovers from an ankle injury.

Ryan Esson is expected to be back in full training this week having been sidelined with a hamstring problem, but Chris Hogg, Simon King and Nick Ross are all still out for Caley Thistle.