Hearts V Dundee at Tynecastle Stadium : Match Preview

29 January 2013 17:31
Hearts V Dundee - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Duo return for Hearts

Darren Barr and Ryan Stevenson return from suspension for Hearts' Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash with Dundee at Tynecastle.

Midfielder Scott Robinson is suspended and Gordon Smith misses the game with a viral infection while fellow forward Callum Paterson is still out with an ankle problem.

Injured defenders Jamie Hamill and Danny Grainger remain sidelined for the long term.

Boss John McGlynn insists the Scottish Communities League Cup final has to be "put on the back burner" while his side re-focus on the league.

"It will have been a wee while, if anyone at all outside the Old Firm, has done back-to-back cup wins, Scottish Cup and League Cup, so it would be an achievement but that is as far as I would go with it," he said.

"We don't want to get carried away.

"Wednesday night is the priority for me, it is really important because Dundee have beaten us twice and we have had two sore lessons.

"We appreciate that Dundee will be fighting for their lives, they are a few points adrift and won't want to go further adrift.

"Their livelihoods are at stake, if they go down to the First Division, their will be wages cut probably and some players not getting new contracts, so these guys are playing for an awful lot

"But if we don't get a boost from getting through that game against Inverness and getting to a cup final then will you get a boost?"

Gary Harkins is set to return to the Dundee team.

Harkins rejoined Dundee from Kilmarnock on Friday but a gentleman's agreement prevented him facing the Ayrshire side on Sunday.

Dundee are still without long-term injured players such as skipper Stephen O'Donnell (knee), Davide Grassi (knee), Mark Kerr (knee), Jamie McCluskey (Achilles) and Carl Finnigan (knee).

They will try to complete a hat-trick of wins over Hearts and boss Barry Smith believes they are capable of doing so.

"We have had two good results against them so far this season," Smith said. "That should give us confidence as they were both decent performances.

"We know this is a different match at another stage of the season but that still has to be the aim. We shouldn't have any sort of fear going into this match.

"We know what we have to do and we have got to go out there and show that we can get the three points.

"Hearts are a good side as they've just shown by getting to the final of the League Cup. But we have to concentrate on what we do and hopefully come away with another positive result."


Source: PA