Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee has received a fitness boost with the news that Jerel Ifil's hamstring injury is not as bad as first feared.

The defender will miss Saturday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash at Kilmarnock but is in line to return for Aberdeen's next game, the visit of Hearts on October 17.

The former Swindon centre-back suffered the injury during Aberdeen's goalless draw against Rangers - their fifth consecutive SPL clean sheet.

Manager Mark McGhee told RedTV: "It looks like Jerel has a strain rather than a tear, which is good news.

"We still have to have the scan properly read by a specialist but our own physios feel it's not as bad as first feared, which is great news because it does give us hope that he might be fit for the Hearts game.

"He's been a great addition to the defending platoon. Against St Mirren people were talking about the 'Ifil tower' which was right, he was great.

"When he keeps his game basic - heads the ball, wins the ball, gets the ball out of danger area - he is a great asset."

Ifil's absence comes on top of Zander Diamond's lingering foot injury and Davide Grassi's broken cheekbone, but McGhee is confident his central defence can cope at Rugby Park.

"Ricky Foster has played really, really well there at the end of last season and we have no fears he can play there," McGhee added.