Aberdeen player injured after being struck in head by part of seat thrown by own fans

DUNDEE, Scotland (AP) — Aberdeen defender Jack MacKenzie was injured when he was struck in the head by part of a seat apparently thrown by a supporter of his own team on Saturday.

MacKenzie was an unused substitute during the 2-1 loss at Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership, a result that saw Aberdeen drop to fifth place and outside the potential European qualification places on the final day of the season.

MacKenzie was among people on the field after the match when he was hit by the plastic seat-part thrown from the away fans’ section in the upper deck of the stand. He was knocked over by the impact. He received medical treatment and taken away with a bandage around his head.

“All we know is Jack got a really bad injury as a player doing his job. This cannot happen in this way,” Aberdeen coach Jimmy Thelin told BBC Scotland.

Aberdeen faces Celtic in the Scottish Cup final next weekend.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer