Craigan said McGhee would help the players cope

O'Donnell, 35, died on Saturday after collapsing during the SPL match with Dundee United at Fir Park.

Craigan told BBC Scotland that the squad would look to McGhee for guidance during the coming weeks.

"We're looking for some inspiration, direction and we trust him to know what's best," he said.

Motherwell's match against Hibernian, the Old Firm game and Gretna's fixture with St Mirren on 2 January have been postponed, as has Well's fixture against Celtic on Sunday.

Craigan said he was unsure how long it would take the Fir Park club to recover from O'Donnell's death.

Mark McGhee is the figurehead of the club and we will follow what he does Motherwell defender Stephen Craigan

"We don't know if it will take a week, a month, we've never been in this situation before," said Craigan.

"It's a very testing time for Mark McGhee. He's the figurehead of the club and we will follow what he does and I think we have a very good leader in the camp."

Craigan said the Motherwell squad went to Fir Park on Sunday to pay their respects.

"We went in and we sat and had a chat," he said.

"It was a strange feeling and a strange atmosphere. We don't know what we are going to do.

"I believe the next two games have been called off, which mean absolutely nothing to us just now.

O'Donnell collapsed during the 5-3 win over Dundee United

"If someone would've said we had to play we probably just wouldn't have turned up."

McGhee said the players were deeply upset about O'Donnell's death.

"The match on Wednesday against Hibs has been postponed and we have agreed with Celtic that the game on Sunday will also be postponed," the Motherwell boss added.

"It has been well-documented how few players we have used this season and that is something that brings them together, there is a unity about them.

"And Phil was a figurehead to them, he was not just any player, he was the focal point of the squad, he was the senior member of the squad.

"For any of us to contemplate going on a training ground, never mind a football ground at this moment in time is impossible."