Hamilton boss Martin Canning insists it is business as usual for Greg Docherty despite the rumours linking him with Rangers refusing to budge.

The Accies midfielder was the subject of a unsuccessful £300,000 offer last week and there were reports on Monday claiming Gers had returned with an improved bid.

But Canning insists he has had no contact from chairman Ronnie MacDonald informing him that negotiations are back on.

And with his phone remaining silent, he now hopes to have Docherty - who missed Saturday's defeat at Motherwell with an ankle knock - back in his side for the visit of Hearts on Wednesday.

He said: "Ronnie deals with all that so my involvement only comes when he calls to say, 'We've accepted a bid from Rangers'.

"Until then it will be business as usual for Greg and I. Hopefully he'll be involved tomorrow.

"I don't know how many bids there's been or what they've been. I don't take that phone call.

"Of course I'd want it resolved as quick as we can - for both the club and Greg - but neither of us can control that right now so we just have to focus on the jobs we have.

"But Greg is a level-headed young guy. He's not the type to get his head turned. He knows he'll have to work away if he wants to get to the top level.

"Look at the top players down south like Alexis Sanchez. They've been talking about him going here, there and everywhere for the last two months but he's still been banging the goals in and doing his job."

Hamilton have one of Scotland's most productive youth academies and Canning believes Docherty rates just as highly as their two most successful graduates - James McCarthy and James McArthur.

But while his club are loathe to stand in the way of the 21-year-old joining his boyhood heroes, he stressed the deal would have to suit Accies first.

"He's as good as those two, particularly James McArthur," said Canning - who is hoping to tie up a deal for Mikel Miller from English non-league side Carshalton Athletic this week. "He's a similar type with his strength and power.

"So he's definitely on par with those two and can kick-on again.

"But Greg has two and a half years left on his contract. He's a Hamilton player. He's been well looked after here since he was eight or nine. Yeah, this is an opportunity for him to go to a big club but it has to be right for Hamilton first and foremost.

"If you asked me, I'd say he was worth £10million so we could keep him here. I'm joking of course.

"Ronnie has always been very honest with the players. He'll never be difficult to deal with. The club takes great pleasure in how well the likes of the two James have done.

"But ultimately he is a businessman and the deal will have to be right for Hamilton. It's not a case of that Greg supports the club so he will go regardless. That's not how business works."