The 5 ft. 9 in. Italian has a wealth of experience having played for the likes of Lazio, Bari, Parma, Bologna and Modena in his homeland, while he had recently been with Greek Super League outfit Panthrakikos.

He’s arrived at Dundee via Kilmarnock following a tip-off from boss Jim Jefferies, who had the player over for a trial with a view to signing him following a recommendation from former Hearts midfielder Stefano Salvatori.

However, with opportunities limited at Rugby Park, Jefferies has allowed Vignaroli to move on to Dens, where the injury situation means the squad is down to the bare bones.

And, as a free agent and with international clearance in place, the 32-year-old could be handed a swift introduction to life in the SFL on Saturday.

“Technically, you can see he is a very good player,” said Dens stand-in boss Davie Farrell.

“He’s had a few years in Serie A and, although his general fitness is OK, maybe he is a little bit short of match fitness.

“Saying that, we’ll probably add him to the squad for Saturday.”

The last Italian striker at Dens was Fabrizio Ravanelli, who had a short spell at the club before it plunged into administration in November 2003.

Meanwhile, as the players returned following their day off, Farrell is confident he can lift the mood in the camp following Monday’s sudden dismissal of Alex Rae.

He said, “I don’t think there will be any problem at all in lifting them. It’s purely up to the individual, but there is a realisation among the lads that we need to start picking things up.”

Meanwhile, applications for the vacant managerial post continue to arrive from far and wide and the board will meet tomorrow to discuss potential candidates.

Chief executive Dave MacKinnon confirmed around 40 applicants have shown an interest in the post, although that list will be substantially whittled down when the board get round the table tomorrow.

And, if all things go to plan, Dundee could be in a position to unveil their new man at the beginning of next week.

It’s thought former boss Jocky Scott and ex-Hearts gaffer John Robertson are among a list of names to be sifted through, while ex-Dens Park favourite Barry Smith is another expected to be among the front-runners.