McGhee feeling "optimistic" after signing Lee Lucas

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee is more optimistic about their season after signing another player - but he admits a derby victory over Hamilton is the confidence boost he craves.

McGhee signed former Swansea midfielder Lee Lucas on Wednesday after a successful trial period, having brought in forwards Ryan Bowman and Luka Belic following the deadline-day departure of Marvin Johnson.

Motherwell have taken two points from four Ladbrokes Premiership games following their opening-day win at Kilmarnock, but were further boosted by Louis Moult's goalscoring return from surgery against Ross County last weekend.

McGhee said: "I'm not encouraged yet. I'm optimistic now that we should improve with Louis back and Ryan Bowman in, and now Lee settled in, and Belic in.

"I would hope to see some improvement both in how we have been playing, consistency and of course in results. That's still to come, but I think we are probably in the best shape we have been since the start of the season in terms of the squad.''

Honours were even in the top-flight Lanarkshire derby last season and McGhee feels local bragging rights could translate into something more substantial.

"They are great games,'' he said.

"It might not be Man United-Man City, but it's our local derby and it's hugely important to our supporters.

"It's a massive game for us, also a game that is against a team who I would presume and expect to be at the same level as us.

"We are going to be competing with Hamilton and teams like that who have ambitions to get into the top six, and it's an opportunity for us to get a measure of how that is likely to pan out. If we can get one over them here, it puts us in a good frame of mind for the rest of the season.''

Keith Lasley has shaken off a dead leg, but Joe Chalmers is a doubt with a groin strain and Carl McHugh misses out again with concussion.

But McGhee said: "He phoned (chief operating officer) Alan Burrows yesterday and said he was starting to feel better. Not right yet, but on the mend. So that's really positive because it's a nasty thing he's got.''