Hearts boss keeps faith with Jamie as tie comes too soon for Kello

JAMIE MacDONALD will continue in goal for Hearts in tonight's rescheduled Scottish Cup fourth round tie against St Johnstone while Marian Kello steps up his recovery from a back injury.

The Slovakian has missed the last two matches in which MacDonald deputised convincingly, recording clean sheets against St Mirren and Hibs to preserve Hearts' impressive run of form. Janos Balogh, the Hungarian keeper, has consequently been left in the role of third choice.

Kello is to resume training at Riccarton this week and may get an opportunity to return to the team when Hearts visit Tannadice on Saturday. Tonight's game, however, will come too early.

"Marian will hopefully train this week but the game will come too soon for him," explained Jim Jefferies. "Jamie MacDonald has stood in fantastically for him and Janos has just been unlucky. We have three really good goalkeepers at the club and a couple of good young ones as well so we are well off in that department.

"We will make sure Marian is right when he has cleared up everything and that he is fit and well when he is ready to compete again. That's not too big a problem for us as Jamie has done extremely well.

"These are the breaks you get. Janos had been out injured and hadn't had as many practice games as Jamie so he got the nod on that basis but there's nothing between the three of them. Janos will probably be a bit disappointed but he's back on the bench and no doubt raring to go."

The cold virus which has swept through Riccarton over the last fortnight is finally beginning to subside with several players returning to full fitness. Jefferies, though, has a concern over Lee Wallace who became the latest to suffer cold symptoms.

"Everyone was ready to go and it's the same situation now. It's not so bad when the match is rescheduled two or three days later rather than another week. We have had a bit of bug going about and Lee is seeing the doctor."