Hearts boss Ian Cathro concerned by Callum Paterson injury after Kilmarnock win

Hearts head coach Ian Cathro admits he is worried for Callum Paterson after the Scotland right-back suffered a serious-looking knee injury in a 4-0 home victory over Kilmarnock.

Paterson was stretchered off inside 15 minutes after volleying home his 10th goal of the season to give Hearts the lead.

The 22-year-old, who looked in some distress, is in the final six months of his contract and looked set to spark some serious transfer interest next month.

Wigan had a £550,000 bid rejected in August and Derby manager Steve McClaren recently confirmed his interest, with Hearts holding out for a seven-figure offer.

Cathro said: "Everyone is worried for him. But sometimes these things can be not what you expect them to be.

"We don't know for sure yet. It's an awkward one. Obviously at the time you saw it's bringing some concern but until we get to tomorrow and the things they need to do can be done, we just don't know.''

An Arnaud Djoum strike and Jamie Walker's second-half double also helped Cathro to a comfortable first win in his fourth Ladbrokes Premiership match in charge. And it might have been even more emphatic but Krystian Nowak hit the post and Jamie MacDonald saved Dario Zanatta's injury-time penalty.

Cathro said: "There are always other parts in our play that can be quicker, can be clearer, but these are small steps we are talking about the whole time.

"It's a very similar message from me, obviously with a different slant on things, we just need to keep working and improving the things we want to improve.

"It's a little bit easier when you see the reward for your work. It's important for the players to have that moment and feel good and feel strong and manage the game properly, and stay on top and stay in control. They deserve to feel good for the work they have done.''

The cheers for the four goals were matched by the roar which greeted Kris Boyd's 57th-minute substitution and the Kilmarnock striker was taunted throughout by the home support.

Boyd had questioned Cathro's appointment and predicted the 30-year-old would be "way out of his depth'' but the Hearts head coach side-stepped questions over the former Scotland striker, who was a fellow student on a coaching course.

"That's for other people to react to and enjoy,'' Cathro said. Had it gone any way the reaction from me would have been the same thing. It's nothing to me. There is no reaction from me on that, it's other people's games to be played.''

Kilmarnock boss Lee Clark felt his side had failed to do the basics.

Clark said: "There have been some harsh words said between the players themselves, it wasn't needed by me. The last two games we have gone full cycle, we have gone back to where we were in the League Cup campaign: the underbelly is soft and we have been very, very poor without the ball. The goals we gave away were absolutely schoolboy.''