Adam is back for Jambos

HEARTS boss Craig Levein has been handed a major boost ahead of Saturday’s vital league meeting with Livingston after striker Stephane Adam’s successful comeback from his latest injury.

The Frenchman has seen his season blighted by fitness problems and had not played any sort of match since damaging his hamstring in the draw with Dundee at Dens Park in November.

But he featured for more than an hour of last night’s under-21 clash with Motherwell at Fir Park to leave Levein suitably impressed.

In-form strikers Ricardo Fuller and Gary Wales have been keeping Andy Kirk out of the starting line-up recently, but Adam’s return gives Levein further options in attack.

"Stephane did well and I was quite happy with him," he said. "We took him off after about 65 minutes and he was feeling good."

Scott Severin played for the 90 minutes as the wee Jambos emerged 1-0 victors thanks to Kirk’s first-half strike. With Kevin McKenna away on international duty with Canada at the Gold Cup, the Scotland midfielder is under consideration by Levein for Saturday’s trip to Almondvale despite not starting a first-team match since an ankle operation in October.

"Seve came through it okay and it was encouraging for him to get the full match under his belt," he said.

"He is the sort of guy who needs plenty of games. It is too early though to think about him for the weekend. I’ll look at him in training and take things from there."

There was more good news for the Gorgie chief after x-rays on Alan Maybury’s injured foot showed no fracture.

The Irishman required stitches in a wound after a challenge on Aberdeen’s Jamie McAllister in the first half of the 3-1 win over the Dons. The injury was causing some discomfort but a precautionary scan has shown no further complications and he should be fit to face Livingston.

Under-21 coach John McGlynn was happy with the win but not his team’s performance last night.

"We shaded it in the first half but in the second half we were terrible," he said.

"We were fortunate to come away with the win as the performance was not up to the standards expected."

Hearts: Gordon, Neilson, McCann, Severin, A. Smith, Kaczan, Boyack (B. Smith), Simmons, Adam (Weir), Kirk (Janczyk), Davidson.

Taken from the Scotsman