AN Aberdeen player has tested positive for coronavirus ahead of their trip to St Johnstone on Saturday.

It comes after Scottish football's Joint Response Group said the match was due to go ahead as planned despite the Granite City being thrust back into lockdown.

A fresh cluster of 54 coronavirus cases has forced First Minister Nicola Sturgeon into ordering a fresh round of restrictions on Aberdeen.

That sparked fears that the new Scottish Premiership season could be thrown into chaos just two weeks in.

Premiership clubs have been given an exemption which has allowed them to resume training and playing matches.

Under the terms of that exemption, players and team staff members are operating in a bubble and must undergo twice weekly testing to ensure any fresh outbreaks are swiftly caught and traced.

The latest round of results, released by the JRG on Tuesday, saw 1274 tests carried out across the 12 Premiership clubs plus Hearts and Glasgow City - with no positive results recorded.

The new measures introduced by the First Minister saw pubs and clubs in Aberdeen ordered to shut as of 5pm on Wednesday, while residents also been warned against travelling more than five miles.