Steven Naismith has confirmed that Odel Offiah and Toby Sibbick will be fit for Heart of Midlothian’s fixture at home to Livingston on Wednesday night.

Both defenders started in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox, and both had their afternoons cut short after picking up niggles. Offiah was replaced by Stephen Kingsley shortly before half-time in Glasgow, while Sibbick was brought off for Andy Halliday on 79 minutes.

“Obviously Odel and Toby came off on Sunday but they seem to have recovered well,” Naismith told Hearts TV. “They were both out on the training pitch today, so there is no change on that front.”

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Naismith will also welcome Alex Lowry back into the squad after the on-loan Rangers playmaker missed the weekend’s match as he is ineligible to face his parent club.

Meanwhile, Barrie McKay continues his recovery from injury and was back running in training this week, while Craig Gordon and Craig Halkett are still regaining their fitness.

“There’s not much change,” Naismith replied when asked about Gordon. “This week is difficult because there are three games this week, but we have arranged a few games that Craigy will play in. He played last week and in the next two or three weeks there will be games for him to play in.

“That’s the important part. We can’t say that he will be back within a certain amount of time because it’s about how he deals with the week-to-week games and the constant training. There are a few in that bracket – there’s him, Halkett and Barrie McKay.

“He has come back out on to the grass for some running but those three are guys where it’s all about the next period and how they deal with the constant load. [The trio won’t return] before the international break.

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“The biggest thing [that they add] is experience. Those three guys have been in an international squad and have a wealth of experience within Scotland.

“It’s natural to understand that they will come back and make a big difference within the group. We have experienced it with Craigy and Halkett coming back into the group already. It massively helps and it can only be a positive.”

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