Major Hearts injury news update ahead of Celtic trip as Neil Critchley lifts lid on six players and MCL blow
Defenders could come back in to reinforce squad for Celtic Park
Hearts head coach Neil Critchley has provided a major injury update on six first-team players ahead of the club’s Premiership clash with Celtic this weekend.
It was mixed news for the Jambos boss, with defender Jamie McCart and midfielder Cammy Devlin back in the first-team squad and long-term injury victims Frankie Kent, Stephen Kingsley and Craig Halkett edging closer to a return. However, right-back Gerald Taylor has returned from international duty with a medial ligament injury and will miss the next couple of weeks.
Knee injury for Hearts defender
The Costa Rican suffered the blow in a Concacaf Gold Cup clash with Belize when an opponent landed on his knee and Critchley explained: “Unfortunately, Gerald got injured on international duty with his knee. Someone fell on him. It's his MCL on the inside of his knee. So, it's not the same injury as before. He arrived back yesterday. We've assessed him today. It looks like he'll be out for a few weeks. So, that's some fortunate news for him and for us.”
There was better news on centre-half McCart, who has not played the Edinburgh derby defeat by Hibs at the start of the month. The ex-St Johnstone player was suffering with a leg issue but he could return to face Celtic, as could Australian midfielder Cammy Devlin, who has taken an extended period of time to recover from concussion.
Jamie McCart Hearts update
"Yes, he will be,” replied Critchley when asked if McCart is available for the trip to Celtic Park, before confirming on Devlin: "Yeah, Cam's fine. He played here [closed-door game v St Johnstone] just before we had a little break. He played 90 minutes. He's been training. So, Cam's fine. He's good to go.”
Defenders Kent, Kingsley and Halkett have all been sidelined for weeks with respective injuries, but are now back in light training. While the trio won’t be available to face Celtic, they could play a part in the run-in to the end of the season.
“Some players are getting closer because they've trained this week,” continued Critchley. “So, it was nice to have Frankie Kent, Stephen Kingsley and Craig Halkett back on the pitch at the same time. Their presence on the pitch was welcomed as they're experienced players.”
Frankie Kent closing in on return
Asked if their returns could be imminent, Critchley said: "We have to decide. I mean, they've done a lot of work in rehab. They've had a good week of training. So, we just have to decide on if they've done enough and also take into account how they're feeling as well and how their bodies have responded to training this week.
“But they've all been fine. They've all come through it. They're good professionals and they've worked very hard during their rehab. So, to be fair, they're in as good a position as they can be given the time that they've been out.”
Hearts head to Celtic Park looking for a positive result to boost their chances of retaining their place in the top six with three games to go before the league splits. They are a point ahead of Motherwell and face Celtic (h), Dundee Utd (h) and the Steelmen (a) next.
Celtic match
"Yes, they're vitally important games,” Critchley added. “I think the break has just given everyone a chance to breathe a little bit. We want to think there's only seven, eight weeks, something like that, left. It'll fly by and we're ready to attack the last period of the season. Nine, hopefully ten games left, maximum. That's it.
“So, we're ready to go. We're fresh, we're positive and we're looking forward to a really exciting end to the season.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.