Black boost for Hearts boss ahead of Bairns tie

IAN BLACK handed Hearts a boost today with the news that the injury he suffered against Inverness is not as serious as first feared - but the midfielder may still miss tonight's Co-operative Insurance Cup, third round clash with Falkirk.

The 25-year-old limped out of the Caledonian Stadium on Saturday afternoon with his foot encased in a protective boot and it had been feared the player may have suffered a fracture following a challenge with Adam Rooney.

The bruising on his foot cleared up sufficiently over the course of the weekend to rule out the need for any scan, however, and manager Jim Jefferies will give his player as much time as possible to prove his fitness ahead of the trip to face the Bairns.

Jefferies said: "We were concerned at the time but it has turned out to be just a bruised foot and it has been clearing up well. He didn't have to have a scan because it improved over the course of the weekend. He didn't train with us yesterday but we'll take a look at him today to see how he is. I wouldn't rule him out 100 per cent for the game tonight, but it will have to be a late decision because we want to give him as much time as we can."

Meanwhile, Jefferies has urged his players to show the same attitude that they did in the last round against Elgin, when they put four past the Third Division side without reply at Tynecastle. The Hearts boss knows that the pressure will be on his side because they are the SPL scalp and he continued: "We were very professional in the last round and I'm looking for the same again. Falkirk will be a step up compared to Elgin but the closer you get in these competitions, the tougher the games get. The pressure is on us and we need to handle it."