Hearts' Andy Driver poised to return in time for derby

HEARTS winger Andy Driver is poised for an injury comeback in the forthcoming Edinburgh derby with Hibs after resuming full training at Riccarton this week.

• Andy Driver

Provided he suffers no reaction after overcoming tendonitis in his knee, the Englishman will take a place on the substitutes' bench at Tynecastle on Saturday week.

Polish defender Dawid Kucharski offered further encouragement when he returned to training yesterday.

He is expected to be included in manager Jim Jefferies' squad for tomorrow's SPL visit to Motherwell, however, captain Michael Stewart will again be absent due to a calf strain.

"Driver has managed to do a couple of days training with us and trained very well yesterday," said Jefferies.

"If he comes through next week he could be on the bench against Hibs. I think he will be targeting that. It would be handy to have him in a game like that if something needed to be changed.

"The physio said Driver would be a couple of weeks away so if he goes well in training next week I would think he'll have a chance.

"Dawid Kucharski trained yesterday and looked fine. Provided there is no reaction he should be okay tomorrow, which would free up somebody like Lee Wallace to revert back to left-back and David Obua back up front.

"Paul Mulrooney has a good chance of playing because he was excellent last week at Tannadice, but Michael Stewart will miss out. He'll want to be fit for the derby also but the physio thinks the Rangers game the week after is more likely.

"I'm not going to rule anyone out at the moment.

"Whenever the Hibs games come round they all want to play but you can't rush them just for the sake of one game."