Frankie Kent could make his comeback for pace-setting Hearts in their testing road trip to Aberdeen on Sunday (15.00) as the William Hill Premiership resumes after the international break.
The English-born defender is available after injury and Derek McInnes said he is delighted to have the 30-year-old back for contention for a place.
Kent (pictured in training) could replace Craig Halkett who is suspended and the head coach said: “For all those qualities he’s got, it’s good to have Frankie back involved.
“I always thought Frankie was a top centre-back and, obviously, I worked with him at the start of the season and he showed that.
“He was unfortunate when he got injured, but he’s back. The only thing he’s short of a wee bit is minutes, but he’s got the experience, he’s got the game to deal with that if we decide to put him in.”
Lawrence Shankland and Craig Gordon returned to training on Friday along with Landry Kabore who bagged yet another hat-trick for Burkina Faso.
The bad news is that two midfield players are out. Long-term injury victim Calem Nieuwenhof is joined on the sideline by Beni Baningimi. Both are suffering from hamstring issues.
Head coach Derek McInnes says his side are full of belief as they prepare to travel to Pittodrie this weekend.
McInnes told Hearts TV: “Obviously, the first game at Pittodrie is going to test our ability to get a result, because Aberdeen, over the years, is always a tough place to go to. They’ve picked up a bit in recent weeks and they’re littered with good players.
“They’ve spent a lot putting that squad together, but I don’t have any fear going anywhere with my team. We have to play well and it’s up to us to make sure that we turn up. We’re motivated. If we play well, we’ve got a chance.
“We’ve won at some tough places. I know it’s been a while since Hearts won up at Pittodrie, but we look at ourselves, we look at our performances and there’s no reason why we can’t go and win if we play well.”
