Hearts' John Souttar facing six months out due to Achilles op

Hearts defender John Souttar will undergo surgery on Monday after rupturing his Achilles but hopes to return within six months.

Hearts John Souttar is comforted by his team-mates after rupturing his Achilles tendon against Celtic. Pic: SNS

The injury is not quite as bad as first feared and specialists in London will operate next week aiming to reduce the player’s recovery time.

Souttar is hopeful he can be fully fit again before the autumn. He was stretchered off during Hearts’ defeat against Celtic last Sunday and scans have confirmed the extent of the damage.

Initial concerns were that he could miss the rest of this year. However, the Scotland Under-21 defender is aiming to be back around August or September with the help of top medical staff.

He has been a key part of the Hearts defence this season and, although his campaign is now over, it is hoped that he could be back early in season 2017/18.