“He was almost perfect for us, the equivalent of Cameron Carter-Vickers being left out of the Celtic team, what an impact he has.”

Derek McInnes has not downplayed what a “huge blow” Stuart Findlay’s injury is for Kilmarnock.

The manager confirmed the defender could be sidelined for up to six months depending on scan results due to the injury he sustained in Sunday’s defeat against Dundee, but insisted his team “just have to deal with it”.

Previewing Killie’s game against Celtic at the weekend, McInnes said: “It’s a blow for us, he’s a big player, a defender who plays every week for me.”

“This is a real blow for us but we need to get over losing important players at some stage of the season.”

McInnes said that in a “worst case scenario” Findlay could be away from the team for up to six months, but could be up to a third of that if there is a positive outcome.

“There could be a difference of maybe seven or eight weeks depending on the scan, so potentially two to three months to four to six months for the worst case scenario,” he added.

“Managers will have to cope without key players and there is no point in crying about it, we just have to deal with it.

“He’s been almost perfect for us. He’s the equivalent of Cameron Carter-Vickers being out of the Celtic team, that’s how big of an impact he has.

“As we lose key players in key positions, others now need to step in and take on the responsibility they have shown for us since coming to the club.”