Robbie Neilson updates fans on Hearts' signing plans, Josh Ginnelly's injury and Craig Wighton's future

Hearts are preparing for a busy few days until the end of the transfer window with players potentially arriving and leaving.
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson would like another two signings.Hearts manager Robbie Neilson would like another two signings.
Hearts manager Robbie Neilson would like another two signings.

The Edinburgh club covet another two signings – a defender and a midfield player – and are willing to let some squad members go. They include forward Craig Wighton, winger Lewis Moore and midfielder Loic Damour.

“There are still a couple of areas I would like to strengthen and I hope for a few ins and a few outs in the coming days,” explained manager Robbie Neilson.

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“The squad is in good nick but you always want the squad to be in a better place than when you entered the window. At the moment we’ve brought in Armand Gnanduillet and Gary Mackay-Steven and we want to bolster that.”

Arbroath are one of several clubs interested in a loan deal for Wighton. He may well have played his last match for Hearts with his contract expiring this summer.

“I had a chat with Craig. We’ve allowed him to speak to some clubs because he wants that wee bit of security and see what’s out there,” explained Neilson.

“He doesn’t want to go into the summer market facing the unknown. If he can get something sorted then he’ll go with our best wishes. If not, he’ll stay with the group because he has been a key member of the squad this season.”

Josh Ginnelly’s latest injury is a blow to Hearts given the winger’s pace and direct style. He was forced off with a hamstring complaint early in Tuesday night’s 4-0 win at Raith Rovers and is unlikely to make Saturday’s match with Dunfermline.

“We’re waiting for the swelling to go down so we can get it scanned but it is not looking good for the weekend. It’s a difficult one for him because he was just getting himself back to full fitness,” admitted Neilson.

Beating Dunfermline would propel Championship leaders Hearts 12 points ahead of the Fife club, who are one of their biggest rivals for automatic promotion to the Premiership.

“That would be a great position to be in but we need to go out and do it first. We know it’s a big game,” said Neilson.

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“When you play against a team around you at the top of the league, it’s a six-pointer and you can take a huge step with the right result. We know the magnitude of the game and the players know it.

“That would give us a boost. You look at the table and you want to keep that distance between everyone else.

“Tuesday night was important in that regard. With the Dundee game cancelled, it allowed us to take a step forward and get a good lead in the Championship. We want to sustain that.”

The clubs’ last meeting ended 2-1 in Dunfermline’s favour at East End Park in November. “We were disappointed with the result in the previous game and we’ll use that as motivation to go into this one and make sure we get the three points,” added Neilson.

“We know how they play, we know how they set up and I expect them to be on the front-foot. We need to deal with that.”

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