Hearts have suffered a major blow in the Scottish Premiership title race, with captain Lawrence Shankland set to be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a hamstring injury. The striker, the league's top scorer with 11 goals, was injured during Saturday's Scottish Cup defeat to Falkirk.

Shankland's absence is compounded by the loss of midfielder Cammy Devlin for a similar period and the suspension of Beni Baningime for Sunday's crucial live match on Sky Sports against Celtic. Hearts currently hold a six-point lead over both Celtic and Rangers at the top of the table.

The injury could force Hearts into the transfer market, with a deal for Ugandan forward Rogers Mato being accelerated from a summer to a January move. Former midfielder Paul Hartley believes the setback could alter perceptions of the title favourites, noting the three-way race will likely go down to the final week of the season.