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Christophe Berra could be 'thrown in' against Rangers - Craig Levein

Christophe Berra could be "thrown in" to Hearts' match with Rangers but manager Craig Levein will only play his captain if he is "ready".

Centre-back Berra, 33, has been out since tearing a hamstring in August but featured in a midweek friendly against junior side Linlithgow Rose.

Hearts are on a run of five games without a victory or a goal.

"Christophe is such an important player for us," said Levein before Sunday's visit of Rangers.

"I wouldn't like to prolong that injury by playing him when he's not ready. But he felt good after the game, he didn't exert himself an awful lot. If he's feeling good, I'll throw him in.

"He's very diligent in what he does in training and in his rehab. He's maybe a couple of weeks ahead of schedule."

Levein revealed Scotland forward Steven Naismith, 32, was "a couple of weeks" away from returning to action having undergone knee surgery in October.

The Hearts boss believes his team have "a performance in us" as they look to halt their poor recent form.

The third-placed Tynecastle side topped the Scottish Premiership from early August, but their slump allowed Celtic and Rangers to overtake them during November.

"Being at home, and the significance of the match, will help," Levein added.

"I think we'll get a decent performance. I can't guarantee we'll win, but I think we'll get a decent performance. I'm a little bit disappointed recently with results but I know we've got a performance in us.

"Talking about momentum, getting a result on Sunday would certainly help us in that regard. Most teams have a dip at some point in the season. I'm confident we'll be back to the levels we were at previously."