Brian Rice believes the absence of two key strikers simply gives an opportunity for others to be Hamilton heroes against Aberdeen on Saturday.

Marios Ogkmpoe and Bruce Anderson had formed an encouraging partnership, but the former will miss a second game with a hamstring injury and the latter is not available due to the terms of his loan agreement with his parent club.

However, Rice, whose side are bottom of the Scottish Premiership on goal difference behind Kilmarnock with a game in hand, turned the negative into a positive.

The Accies boss said: “It will be a loss considering we have lost Bruce with the agreement with Aberdeen and have lost Marios as well.

“So the striking partnership that looked quite promising, none of the two of them will be available.

“But, like I keep saying, these things happen and we just have to get on with it, so it is a chance for two others.

“The two that come in tomorrow maybe become two heroes and they stay in the team.

“If you get in the team, you get the chance. It is up to you to stay in it and that is the way I put it to them.

“If you look at the goals scored in the league we are quite high up the table, so I am confident we have goals in the team. But Aberdeen is always very difficult.

“You never get a comfortable 90 minutes so it is going to be very tough, but every game is very tough. But we are really looking forward to the game.”

Hamilton travel to Pittodrie with one defeat in five matches, albeit three draws within that run including a 1-1 result against St Johnstone on Wednesday night.

Rice said: “I have said it all along, the boys haven’t lacked confidence. We have lacked numbers at times but we haven’t lacked confidence.

“I think you can see with the way they are playing and going about their business that they believe in each other and everything we are doing.

“We know what we need to do and it is now just a case of trying to do that.”