Both Celtic and Hearts are missing key midfielders ahead of their Co-operative Insurance Cup quarter-final on Wednesday at Parkhead.
Celtic’s Scott Brown and Hearts’ Michael Stewart both look likely to sit out the match owing to ankle injuries, adding to already sizeable injury lists for their respective clubs.
Artur Boruc and Marc-Antoine Fortune are also out of contention for Tony Mowbray’s side, but Danny Fox could make a return from a hamstring injury which ruled him out of Scotland’s trip to Japan earlier this month.
Csaba Laszlo will also have to do without ‘keeper Marian Kello, defender Marius Zaliukas, midfielder Laryea Kingston and strikers David Templeton and Calum Elliot.
Hearts captain Stewart was booed off the park by a number of his own supporters during Saturday’s 0-0 home draw with Falkirk in the SPL and did not train on Monday because of his injury.
Hosts Celtic are the tournament holders, having overcome Rangers 2-0 in the 2008/09 final after extra time. Hearts were humbled in the second round of last season’s competition, losing out on penalties to First Division strugglers Airdrie United.
Celtic provisional squad: Zaluska, Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, Maloney, Robson, Zhi, McGeady, McDonald, Samaras, Crosas, McGinn, McCourt, Fox, Wilson, Loovens, Cervi.
Hearts provisional squad: Balogh, Jonsson, Kucharski, Bouzid, Goncalves, Santana, Palazuelos, Obua, Witteveen, Black, Nade, Wallace, Driver, C Thomson, J Thomson, Mole, Novikovas, J Stewart, Glen, MacDonald.
