Marius Zaliukas, Lee Wallace and Eggert Jonsson in for Hearts armband

HEARTS will rotate their captain's armband between Marius Zaliukas, Eggert Jonsson and Lee Wallace during their initial pre-season friendlies before manager Jim Jefferies appoints a permanent new skipper early next month.

It is Jefferies' intention to allow Zaliukas, Jonsson and Wallace to sample the captaincy during games against Dunfermline, Gillingham and Millwall. He will take a final decision on the matter in time for Wolverhampton Wanderers' visit to Tynecastle on Tuesday, 3 August.

The new incumbent would then captain the team against Wolves and Blackburn four days later, before leading his colleagues out against St Johnstone in the first match of the new SPL campaign.

Zaliukas remains favourite for the role despite his loan from FBK Kaunas of Lithuania being due to expire in December.

"The captaincy will be decided a couple of weeks before the season starts. We're looking more towards the Wolves and Blackburn games," explained Jefferies. "There are two or three candidates with Michael Stewart gone. I'm going to have a chat with Marius about the fact he's out of contract in December so I have to find out what he's thinking and what's ahead. If there's a possibility he might be moving on, that might rule him out.

"He is a candidate as are two or three others, like Lee and Eggert. I'll look at it over pre-season.

"I might use different captains in the first two or three games against Dunfermline and down in England You're looking for somebody who plays all the time, who gets the respect of the staff and the players and who is 100 per cent behind everything."