Don Cowie eyes Hearts return after international break

DON COWIE missed Hearts' win at Fir Park on Friday with a calf injury but should return to action after the international break. Although the problem is not serious, the midfielder has been ordered to rest.

Don Cowie

Head coach Robbie Neilson was concerned that the issue could become more problematical and therefore left Cowie out of training last week. He was absent as Hearts won 3-1 at Motherwell but should be ready to face Dundee when the Ladbrokes Premiership resumes in two weeks.

“Don is fine. He had a little problem with his calf last week. We didn’t train him all week, we just wanted to rest him,” Neilson explained. “We knew we had this two-week break coming up so we just wanted him to take time and let the problem settle. He’ll be fine for the Dundee game.”

The 33-year-old former Scotland internationalist is generally regarded as one of the fittest Hearts players. However, he has been advised to rest whenever any injury flares up in order to protect himself.

“He’s at the age now where we need to help him and he needs to help himself. He needs to manage his body,” added Neilson. “We felt that, with that little issue, we had to watch what he was doing so that it didn’t become a big issue.”