Alloa plot moves for Rudi Skacel and Ross Caldwell

Rudi Skacel celebrates scoring for Hearts against Inverness in 2011. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Former team-mate Paul Hartley is keen to strengthen his squad and the 34-year-old, who helped Hearts to Scottish Cup wins in 2006 and 2012, could assist the Wasps in their fight for a play-off spot. Skacel is a free agent after leaving Czech side Slavia Prague but sources suggest a deal with Alloa is some way off.

Skacel had two spells with the Jambos, signing on loan from Marseille in 2005 and scoring 16 goals in 35 appearances before returning on a permanent basis in 2010, where he kept up his impressive scoring record, netting 25 in 58 appearances including a starring role in Hearts’ 5-1 demolition of Edinburgh rivals Hibernian in the 2012 Scottish Cup final.

His third spell in Scotland was with Dundee United, where he was used mostly as a substitute before returning to his homeland.

Alloa currently lie fifth in the Championship, 11 points off league leaders Dundee.

The Wasps are also on the verge of bringing Hibs striker Ross Caldwell to Recreation Park until the end of the season. The 20-year-old hitman has found first-team opportunities limited since Terry Butcher arrived, and was involved in a touchline spat with the former Inverness CT boss after he was brought on as a substitute against Ross County in the cup, only to be subbed himself around 10 minutes later.

Butcher prefers Paul Heffernan, James Collins and Danny Handling as his main strikeforce with the rise of 18-year-old Jason Cummings pushing Caldwell - who scored a derby winner against Hearts at Tynecastle last season - further down the pecking order.