Shankland and Baningime could face Lions

Lawrence Shankland and Beni Baningime (pictured) missed last weekend’s win at St Mirren but have shaken off a bug and are available for selection for Hearts against Livingston at Tynecastle (kick-off 15.00) in the cinch Premiership.

The pair have both enjoyed a full week of training as has Finlay Pollock and head coach Steven Naismith said: “We are in a good place.”

Naismith is fully aware of the threats that Saturday’s opponents Livingston, nicknamed The Lions, carry and he said: “They’re struggling at the bottom of the table but I don’t think they have lost hope.

“Any game I’ve watched their expectation isn’t that they’re going down.”

The Jambos boss said that a win would take Hearts closer to securing third place in the table and he added that for individuals, they’re playing for a place in the Scottish Gas, Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers at Hampden.

Naismith claimed that belief is high in his group currently and he added: “This season the players have bought into it and have applied themselves brilliantly.

“We have got real belief which is why we have got to two semi-finals and are sitting in third with a good points tally.”