International break could be timely for Livingston’s Bruce Anderson

Livingston striker Bruce Anderson is to have a scan on an ankle injury which  is set to rule him out of the trip to Hearts on Saturday.

Boss David Martindale revealed the 23-year-old striker, who has scored 13 times this season, picked up the injury at training on Tuesday.

Ahead of the cinch Premiership clash at Tynecastle, the last game before the international break, the Livingston manager said:  “Bruce Anderson took a sore one in training.

“He was moving in training on Tuesday, it wasn’t a contact injury, he went over and sprained his ankle.

“He is probably going for his scan today.

“He had to wait on the swelling going down so there is a good chance Bruce is not going to be available for Saturday and maybe the next couple  of Saturdays.

“So this international break may have come at the right time with regards Bruce.”

Livi are in fifth place with 37 points, behind Hibernian on goal difference and ahead of Ross County, Dundee United, Motherwell and St Mirren by just one point with three fixtures remaining before the split.

The West Lothian side face games against Hearts and St Johnstone away before a home fixture against Motherwell and Martindale knows he his side have to break some new ground this season if they are to finish in the top half of the table.

He said: “We have some really tough fixtures and we are not getting ahead of ourselves.

“For the club to finish in the top six again would be absolutely huge in terms of achievement.

“That would be the third year running we would finish in the top six but it is a long way off.

“There are difficult fixtures coming up, Hearts away at Tynecastle, it is common knowledge we haven’t taken any points off Hearts this season, and we have not taken points off Motherwell this season and we have St Johnstone away.

“Tough, tough fixtures  and everyone from fourth to ninth will be saying the same thing.”