Lee Wallace and Andy Webster set to return for clash at Tannadice

HEARTS are hopeful that both Lee Wallace and Andy Webster will return from injury in time for next week's SPL encounter with Dundee United at Tannadice, with Eggert Jonsson due to start a three-match suspension.

The Scotland internationalists missed Saturday's defeat by Kilmarnock due to ankle and groin injuries respectively. Medical staff at Riccarton believe both could be fit to face United given Hearts are not in action this weekend.

Ian Black will be available again after suspension but Jonsson now begins a three-match ban which will preclude him from the United fixture, the home meeting with St Mirren and the Edinburgh derby. Ruben Palazuelos will also be absent at Tannadice as he serves the last game of his ban. Manager Jim Jefferies believes the weekend break will help several injured players recover. "With us not having a game this week that will help in terms of the injured boys," he said.

"Lee keeps inflaming the injury all the time. We expect it will help him a lot by not having a game. Left-back has been a problem with Ruben being out suspended and Lee not available. We don't have a lot of options. Eggert Jonsson was asked to play out of position because we have no-one else.

"We've got players out of the side just now and that makes it difficult. Ruben and Blackie have been tremendous in the middle of the park for us, Lee Wallace is always a threat down the left-hand side. Jason Thomson, Darren Barr and Andy Webster are injured, too."

Meanwhile, Kilmarnock have appealed the red card shown to Alexei Eremenko at Tynecastle on Saturday. Manager Mixu Paatlainen declared that his player was a victim in the 72nd-minute flashpoint involving Hearts' Marius Zaliukas and David Templeton.

"We have decided to appeal Eremenko's red card and hopefully common sense will prevail and it will turn to yellow," said Paatelainen. "He's not the real offender. The Hearts player takes him by the throat and he has reacted by pushing him off.

"You have to be an extremely calm character to allow another person to strangle you and not react. His reaction is purely instinctive. I'm astonished that our player was shown a red yet two Hearts players were only given yellow. Yellow would be punishment enough for Alexei.

"I feel the referee got it totally wrong. My hope is that the SFA look at it and feel the punishment is too strong and reduce it."