McKenna harbouring hopes of a comeback

GRAHAM BEAN

KEVIN McKenna, who has been deployed regularly by Hearts as an auxiliary striker, will resume training today and has not ruled out the possibility of being part of the squad for Thursday’s UEFA Cup tie in Portugal against Braga.

The Canadian international has not played a competitive match this season after sustaining a knee injury shortly before the league campaign began. McKenna underwent surgery on the knee earlier this month, and while it’s more likely he will resume playing next week, there is an outside chance he could feature in the European tie, which they lead 3-1 from the first leg at Murrayfield.

"I’m going to train on Monday and see if there is any reaction," McKenna told the Hearts website. "I’d be happy to get back anytime, whatever the game as it’s been a while now and can get very frustrating."

Craig Levein, the Hearts head coach, is currently without four of his five first-team strikers because of injury but hopes to have one or two of the injured quartet in his squad to face Braga.

"We’ve had to do without Mark de Vries, Kevin McKenna, Ramon Pereira and Graham Weir but we need one of them, or preferably two, on that plane to Portugal," Levein said yesterday.

Last night, Braga drew 0-0 at Portuguese league leaders Benfica in Lisbon. The result means Hearts’ opponents lie in seventh on six points.

Taken from the Scotsman