Livingston boss David Martindale hoping for good news from Joel Nouble knee scan

Livingston boss David Martindale is hoping for good news from Joel Nouble’s MRI scan on a knee problem.

The 26-year-old striker has been out since the 1-1 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle on November 12 and has missed the three games following the mid-season break.

Ahead of the visit of Motherwell on Monday, Martindale said: “He had an MRI so I am very hopeful we will get those results today.

“It doesn’t seem as if it will be a bad one, but it is one of these ones, a niggle that is proving very difficult to shake off.

“So I think it is more to put all our minds at ease with the MRI.

“We didn’t feel he needed an MRI at the start, but the longer this has gone on, he has had two or three failed returns to first-team training, so I think it will put all our minds at ease, especially Joel’s.

“It lets us get to the root of the problem but fingers crossed it is not going to be anything serious.”

Steven Bradley, the 20-year-old signing from Hibernian, should have his paperwork complete for the Motherwell game, with Martindale saying: “He is a natural wide player and will add to the offensive areas.”

The Lions boss hopes to have 28-year-old Dominican Republic defender Luiyi de Lucas in his squad soon.

He said: “He got his governing body endorsement (from the Scottish Football Association) last week.

“He flies in on the fourth, has his English language test which he will fly through on the fifth and his Home Office interview on 10th, so by mid-January we should have clearance for him to play first-team games.”

Midfielder Jason Holt will miss the next two games after an unsuccessful appeal against his red card against Hibs last weekend for a challenge on Kevin Nisbet.

Martindale said: “I was duty-bound to appeal it. I thought there was enough in it not to be a red card.

“The panel came back with a red-card decision, so I’m more than happy to take that one on the chin.

“I had one earlier in the season, Morgan Boyes, yellow card, he got a red at Ibrox via VAR.

“I watched Morgan’s challenge and I could see why it was a red.

“With Jason’s, I couldn’t really see why it was a red so I had to defend my player.

“But again an independent panel looked at it, so I am more than happy to take that on the chin and move on.”

Scott Pittman’s appeal against his red card in Wednesday’s match against St Mirren will be heard on Friday.