Calum Elliot will be out for further two months says Hearts manager Laszlo

HEARTS striker Calum Elliot needs another two months' rehabilitation before he is ready for a first-team return, according to manager Csaba Laszlo.

• Calum Elliot

A persistent knee complaint has restricted the 22-year-old to just three appearances this season while Laszlo has lamented a lack of quality amongst his attacking options.

The Hungarian is desperate to reinstate Elliot but said today that would not be possible until sometime in March given the length of the player's absence.

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"I miss Calum Elliot, he was in our plan to play from the beginning of the season. He is very unlucky with this knee," said Laszlo.

"You can't use him for the next two months. Even if he comes back, he has not played football for nearly six months and he needs time to get back. I will be very happy to have him back. I think he needs three weeks just to come back to training, then you see what happens with his knee. Until now, he has had two weeks training and then four or six weeks out because the reaction from the knee is always negative. You don't know what the reaction will be, this is the problem.

"Andy Driver is a big loss for us. He has not played football in over three months because of the problem with his knee. These are offensive players who are not on the field for us."

Meanwhile, Hearts have held a meeting with Lee Miller's agent to formally declare their interest in the Aberdeen forward, who was revealed by the Evening News on Wednesday as a pre-contract signing target for the Edinburgh club.

Miller's representative, Mark Donaghy, met with Hearts' sport director Alexandr Metlitski and club interpreter Konstantin Kornakov. The Tynecastle officials revealed their admiration for the player, however a formal contract offer has yet to be made.

Miller is available to sign a pre-contract agreement now as his contract at Pittodrie expires in June.

• TWO further Hearts academy pupils have signed new contracts, the club have confirmed. Centre-back Conrad Balatoni and full-back Danny Thomson, both 18, have extended their current deals.

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