Hearts may have a new captain but they are struggling to get a defence together over the weekend.

Hearts take on Dundee United on Monday in their first SPL game of the season but may have to play without summer signing Ismael Bouzid. He is suffering from a shoulder joint problem but is being assessed by the club's medical staff, who hope he will be fit for the trip to Tannadice. Manager Csaba Laszlo is already without Marius Zaliukas for the trip to United, the Lithuania centre-half serving the first instalment of a four-game domestic ban.

That could mean Jose Goncalves linking up with new signing Dawid Kucharski. Laszlo is keeping his fingers crossed that midfielder Laryea Kingston will be fit, although his involvement will rely on a late decision on the knee injury which kept him out of Saturday's 1-1 friendly draw with Sunderland. Medical staff believe he can rejoin training within three to five days, making it touch and go as to whether the Ghana international can feature at Tannadice. Another injury concern, Arvydas Novikovas, returned to action with the first team at Riccarton on Tuesday after also missing the Black Cats game, and he should be available for Monday.
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