Hearts defender Frankie Kent out of Sunday's match against Celtic

Englishman won't play this weekend due to a knee problem

Frankie Kent is out of Hearts' Premiership match with Celtic on Sunday due to a knee injury. The centre-back is on crutches after taking a heavy knock in the latter stages of Wednesday's draw with Hibs at Tynecastle.

Hearts sent him for a scan to determine the extent of the damage and are already preparing to face Celtic without the influential Englishman. He is expected to be absent until later this month.

Kent has been a stalwart of the Hearts defence this season and all concerned will hope he can return to action quickly. He went down and needed treatment during the dying minutes of the Edinburgh derby but finished the match as the teams played out a 1-1 draw.

Medical staff assessed him on Thursday and he was spotted in a protective brace with crutches at Hearts' Riccarton training ground. With fellow centre-back Craig Halkett also absent due to a knee problem, it leaves the Tynecastle side without two of their most experienced defenders ahead of Celtic's visit.

READ MORE: Talks at Hearts to address a recurring issue for Celtic match