Kevin Kyle fitness hopes raised

HEARTS striker Kevin Kyle could be fit to face Dundee United tomorrow after receiving a cortisone injection to ease a niggling groin injury. Kyle had been expected to miss the league match after limping off early in the second half of his club's Scottish Cup defeat by St Johnstone on Tuesday night, but hopes were raised after he consulted a specialist yesterday.

"It appears the problem is a legacy of a previous injury," assistant manager Billy Brown said on the Hearts website. "He was given an injection which will hopefully do the trick.

"We will see how he is tomorrow and I'm certainly not ruling him out of being involved on Saturday. He's desperate to play, he loves being involved, and we'll give him every chance to make it."

Kyle, above, is Hearts' top scorer with ten goals so far this season.