DONS defender Jerel Ifil has has received the good news that his hamstring injury is not as bad as first feared.
The former Swindon captain will miss Saturday's SPL game with Kilmarnock but is in line to return for Aberdeen's next game, the visit of Hearts on October 17th.
Ifil suffered the injury during Aberdeen's goalless draw against Rangers – their fifth consecutive SPL clean sheet – and came at a time when Aberdeen are missing Zander Diamond through a lingering foot injury and Davide Grassi with a broken cheekbone.
But Dons boss Mark McGhee said: "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 came at a bad time, with the Dons looking to move into 2nd place in the SPL table by beating Killie on Saturday.
But McGhee is confident utility player Ricky Foster can cope in the centre of defence at Rugby Park.
He said: "Ricky Foster has played really, really well there at the end of last season and we have no fears he can play there."
