Livingston set to welcome back defensive duo for Kilmarnock clash

Livingston are set for a double injury boost with defenders Mick Devlin and Cristian Montano ready to feature against Kilmarnock.

The Lions return from the international break with a trip to Rugby Park as they look to keep hold of their place in the top six. And gaffer David Martindale says the duo are in contention for a place in the starting line-up.

Skipper Devlin hasn’t featured in a month due to an ankle knock picked up against Ross County while Colombian full-back Montano sustained a torn calf muscle in August.

Speaking to the Courier, Martindale said: “Both Mick and Cristian are in a good place and are in contention for a place in the starting line-up on Saturday.

“They were due to get some minutes in a bounce game against Hibs last week but just the way the game went, I felt it was more beneficial to do some additional training work with them. They’ve been out for a wee while but have trained well this week and are fit for Kilmarnock.”

The Lions go into the clash full of confidence after a home win over Motherwell prior to the international break, while Killie haven’t won in seven. Martindale, though, is under no illusion as to the difficulty of the task at hand.

He said: “They’re a very good team and it’s going to be a real tough challenge going to Rugby Park.

“They’ve already beaten Celtic and Rangers at home this season and you know that you’re in for a tough afternoon against any side managed by Derek McInnes.

“But we can go into it full of confidence because we’ve had a decent start to the season and we’re coming off a big win against Motherwell.”

The Lions had a trio of players on international duty this week with Luiyi de Lucas representing Dominican Republic, Mo Sangare playing for Liberia and Steven