Hearts: Austin MacPhee expects to be in charge for Motherwell trip

Interim manager Austin MacPhee expects to lead Hearts for the final time on Saturday as the club edge closer to appointing a new head coach.

Hearts have made an offer to Daniel Stendel, but compensation may be due to the German's former club Barnsley.

MacPhee, in temporary charge since Levein's sacking on 31 October, believes he will oversee the Scottish Premiership trip to Motherwell.

"I think that is the situation," he told BBC Radio Scotland.

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"I'm led to believe that things will be concluded later on in the weekend or even at the start of next week with whoever [owner] Ann Budge has said she is speaking to.

"I think what will happen at the weekend, as long as the players give their all, is that we can go and put in a positive performance at Motherwell."

In MacPhee's fifth game at the helm on Wednesday, Hearts salvaged a late draw at home to Livingston thanks to Steven Maclean's 88th-minute equaliser.

Forward Steven Naismith is being assessed after being withdrawn early nursing back and hamstring complaints.

Hearts are in ninth place, one of three teams a point above bottom club St Mirren.

"What Hearts supporters should've seen tonight, albeit there were times where we lacked a bit of confidence and made the wrong decisions, was that the players never gave up," MacPhee said.

"Whoever the new manager is, he's got a group of players here who will try their best. Once they get that wee bit of clarity, they'll kick on again.

"We also have a lot of players to come back into the team - Peter Haring, John Souttar, Conor Washington. This is a great job for somebody and the club is there to move forward."