Barrie McKay is an injury worry for Hearts ahead of their trip to the Kilmac Stadium in Dundee on Sunday (15.00) and the European assignment in Greece on Thursday.

The forward, who went through an operation during the summer, was substituted during the second-half of Thursday’s 2-1 defeat by PAOK at Tynecastle.

McKay suffered a knee injury and will be assessed by the medical staff.

Defiant Hearts are confident they can win in at the Toumba Stadium in Greece and that guarantees a place in the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League.

Frankie McAvoy, Hearts’ head coach, said: “We knew it was going to be a tough game. It was disappointing that we score and then they get a penalty so early after.

“Shanks (Lawrence Shankland) scored and it is a sour note when it is chopped off, then they score from a corner. We know what we have to do now. We have got to win the game and I believe that is possible.”    

Hearts created several chances during the game and were denied twice by the PAOK goalkeeper and McAvoy added that the Jambos are focused on Dundee in the cinch Premiership before turning their attentions to the Greek side.

Dundee are eighth in the league table having drawn and lost their two league games and Hearts are third having won and drawn their two games. 

In their last ten meetings Dundee have won three and Hearts five with the Tayside team having scored 12 goals and Hearts 18.

Boss Tony Docherty has won three of his six matches in charge of Dundee in all competitions but has yet to taste a win in the Scottish Premiership, a big incentive for him and the players who enjoy home advantage.

McAvoy’s men have won each of their last three visits to Dundee in the Premiership and have kept a clean sheet and the Jambos current technical director, Steven Naismith (pictured), scored on one of those wins.

image_pdfimage_print
Website | + posts

Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.