Driver and Kello doubts for Hearts

MARIAN KELLO and Andy Driver are likely to miss Hearts’ SPL meeting with St Mirren this weekend pending consultation with specialists to assess their injuries. However, Mehdi Taouil could be in line to start the match.

Manager Paulo Sergio is unsure when Kello and Driver will return to first-team duty, with Jamie MacDonald set to continue deputising in goal whilst Kello is missing.

The Slovakian goalkeeper is still bothered by a shoulder injury sustained in last month’s Edinburgh derby and he and Driver are keen for specialists to pinpoint their respective recovery periods.

“They have not trained this week so we will have to wait and see,” Sergio told the official Hearts website. “We are waiting for the specialists to see their injuries and I don’t know much more right now.”

Taouil has impressed Sergio since recovering from a groin injury and, after appearing as a substitute against Inverness last weekend, he is pushing for a place in Hearts’ starting XI.

“Mehdi is one of the most creative players in our squad. It’s good for us that he’s started to come back in and he’ll get better and better,” said Sergio, who also declared the need for improvement following last Saturday’s visit to the Highlands.

“I’m not happy with just getting a point there. I wasn’t happy with our performance. Sometimes you don’t get what you want, it wasn’t a perfect performance for us. We have to improve that because I know St Mirren are a good team.”

Ryan McGowan, the Australian defender, is hoping to remind Sergio of his worth to the team after missing the last three league matches. “Hopefully I can impress him. I need to try to give him some selection headaches,” he said.