McGlynn reveals his cup hope for McCann

HEARTS assistant coach John McGlynn believes that Neil McCann could make a return to the first team in time to try and win an historic second Scottish Cup winners' medal.

The 31-year-old Scotland international winger, who was lured back to Tynecastle from Southampton by former head coach Graham Rix in January, has played just 23 minutes in his second spell at the Gorgie club.

McCann, who won the Scottish Cup under Jim Jefferies at Hearts in 1998, sustained medial ligament damage in his left knee on his debut return in the 1-0 defeat at Kilmarnock on 21 January, and has not kicked a ball in anger since.

While the Edinburgh club have booked a cup final place against Gretna on 13 May and have stayed on course for a Champions League spot, McCann has been dogged by setbacks.

But the 25-times-capped player is back in light training, and McGlynn is hopeful he could strengthen interim coach Valdas Ivanauskas' options before the season's end and claim a second winners' medal at Hampden.

He said: "We're still very hopeful that Neil will be back before the end of the season. He's had one or two wee setbacks and he's taken more time than we thought, but we're hopeful.

"It's been a major disappointment for the player and the club that he's only got that brief spell at Killie, because when you sign a player of Neil's quality you expect him to create competition.

"He has the opportunity to become one of the first Hearts players, certainly in the modern era, to win two Scottish Cup medals and that would be an incredible feat."

Meanwhile, Bruno Aguiar (ankle), Michal Pospisil (thigh) and Julien Brellier (back) are all struggling to be fit for Saturday's crucial SPL clash with Kilmarnock at Tynecastle.

Taken from the Scotsman