Hearts boss says Bouzid may face wait for first-team return

HEARTS boss Jim Jefferies today admitted Ismael Bouzid may have to wait for his return to the first team, despite battling his way back to fitness.

The defender has been out of action since the beginning of February after a hamstring injury forced him to limp out of the League Cup semi-final against St Mirren at Fir Park.

But the 26-year-old, who played 90 minutes of a bounce match against Motherwell on Tuesday, is keen to make a return to the top team and hopes that he did enough in that match to convince his manager to include him in the squad for this weekend's crucial SPL match against Kilmarnock.

However, with a place in the top six at stake on Saturday, Jefferies insisted that he won't take any unnecessary risks.

A draw or victory over Killie at Tynecastle would ensure Hearts pip St Johnstone to the final spot in the top half of the table and Jefferies said: "Hopefully we will get some of our injured players back over the course of the next week or so and that will allow us to look at what we have already got at the club and what we need for next season.

"We've had a lot of injuries to deal with since we came to the club but the one good thing this week is that we didn't pick up any new injuries against St Mirren last week.

"Ismael Bouzid played in our closed-doors game the other day, but he's been out for a few weeks so we will have to wait and see if we can include him in our squad for this Saturday.

"We played quite well defensively last weekend so we maybe don't have to rush him back into the side but we'll just see what happens.

"I'm not sure it's really a game to just throw him back into if we don't have to because it's a big game for us. There's a lot at stake because we can secure a place in the top six before St Johnstone even play and we would have to ensure that he was 100 per cent.

"We'll see how the next day or two goes but it might be the case that there are other games after the split that would give us an opportunity to bring him back into the side."

Craig Thomson and David Templeton featured against Motherwell and could also come into contention for a place, while Calum Elliot played 20 minutes as he continues his recovery from a knee injury.

Jefferies continued: "We've had a lot of injuries to deal with and it hasn't been helped by the weather because there have been a few bounce matches and closed-doors games called off because of the conditions. There's no reserve league now either, so it's not been easy for players to get their match fitness back."