MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--Private equity group KKR has hired Morgan...

MELBOURNE (Dow Jones)--Private equity group KKR has hired Morgan Stanley to advise it on takeover target Healthscope Ltd. (HSP.AU), the Australian Financial Review reported on its website Friday.

Without citing sources, the report on the website's Street Talk column says it is unclear at this stage whether KKR would look to bid against a consortium of TPG Inc., Carlyle Group LP and Blackstone Group LP or potentially seek to become a late entrant to the bidding group.

But the report said there was a suggestion that KKR was unlikely to work with TPG in particular on a deal.

Earlier this week, Blackstone joined Carlyle and TPG in a consortium bidding for the Australian pathology and private hospitals group. The consortium is currently undertaking due diligence on Healthscope in the wake of a revised A$1.82 billion offer.