Striker is a priority for Hearts

Michael Ngoo of Liverpool remains top of their list, but manager John McGlynn has alternatives to fall back on if they don’t land the 20-year-old.

Hearts have struggled all season to settle on a striking partnership and McGlynn’s options for the semi-final have been further narrowed by an injury which has ruled out Callum Paterson. The teenager, who hurt a foot in training on Tuesaday, joins the suspended Ryan Stevenson and Darren Barr on the sidelines.

The registration sanctions imposed on the Tynecastle club mean they can only sign under-21s, are only allowed to recruit someone to replace a departed player and cannot pay an incomer more than the departed player received. With Ryan McGowan and Peter Enckelman having left and Danny Wilson coming in, there is currently one space available in McGlynn’s squad. He said: “Yes, we have been looking at a striker.

“It has been our achilles heel this season, getting the ball in the back of the net. So it would be nice if we can to freshen things up, up front.”

Twenty-year-old Ngoo has played for England at age-group level and, at 6ft 4in, has the physical presence, as well as the pace, which Hearts have lacked in many games. Hearts have also developed a good relationship with Liverpool, Wilson’s parent club, which should help if negotiations become serious.

“He’s one of a number that we’ve been looking at,” McGlynn said of Ngoo. “I wouldn’t want to specifically say. We’ve watched a number of games and a number of players. Unfortunately, some of them end up going out on loan to other clubs down in England.

“That’s actually easier for them, because their clubs can take them back quicker. When you do a cross-border you’ve got to take a player for six months. From my point of view that’s not a problem but it is from the English club’s point of view, because, if it’s not working out for a particular player down in England, they can take them back. Or if they run into injuries.

“There may have been someone we had in mind who went out on loan to other teams in England. That’s what we’re up against, so your shopping list has to be extremely large.

“Every time you watch Sky Sports News there’s another one gone, so we just have to see what we can do. We only have one space we can fill with the sanctions.”

Unless, of course, another player leaves Tynecastle during this transfer window – something McGlynn refused to rule out. “Watch this space,” he said when asked if there would be any further departures.