Barrie McKay and Liam Boyce progress as Hearts coach Steven Naismith says player safety is at risk

Injured players beginning to take forward steps at Riccarton

Barrie McKay and Liam Boyce are both progressing in their injury rehabilitations at Hearts, although they are not expected back in first-team action in the near future. Head coach Steven Naismith is cautiously optimistic about the pair as his team prepare for the end-of-season run-in.

McKay has managed only seven appearances for Hearts this term due to two separate knee problems. The winger resumed training with the first-team squad on Friday and will now work to improve fitness. Striker Boyce is no longer on crutches following hamstring surgery and is slightly further behind McKay on the recovery path.

"Barrie was back in training today, very early stages so he is still a bit away," said Naismith. "Boycie’s rehab is coming on well but he had a small bit of surgery on his hamstring that he is now just getting past that first stage. Both recovering well but I would not imagine we will see them any time soon."

Forward Yutaro Oda and defender Craig Halkett are still missing with calf and knee injuries ahead of Sunday's Premiership match with Celtic at Tynecastle. "Yutaro is still out with a calf injury and Halkett there is no update as yet," added Naismith.

Teenage midfielder Finlay Pollock made his Premiership debut for Hearts in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Hibs after more than a year out injured. "He has worked really hard. It’s one of the most tedious injuries you can have, tendonitis," explained Naismith.

"He’s had to be really patient, we had a clear plan for him. He has played some B team games and looked really good, hence he comes on in the derby because we felt he was a threat and could have produced something. He’s really powerful, really strong. He’s got that mentality of never-say-die. There are loads of characteristics for him to have a good career. He’ll get opportunities, he just has to make sure he takes them."

Contrasting the positives of McKay, Boyce and Pollock, Naismith must contend with a knee injury to influential centre-back Frankie Kent. He is on crutches with his knee in a brace and is not expected to play until later this month after sustaining a late knock against Hibs.

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"He had a scan yesterday [Thursday] and it will be a couple of weeks that we are talking he will be out, which is disappointing but it's much better than what the outcomes could have been. It's the better side of it. The crutches and brace are more just precaution until we get that information we got after training. It's something we need to deal with.

"There were a few who weren't out on the [training] pitch. When you have a schedule like the last week, there are times, depending on the players' load, whether they will even be on the pitch or not. There are a few who never went out but they are not injured, it is more fatigue and seeing where they are at."

Hearts have defensive options in their squad to compensate for Kent's absence against Celtic. "It's disappointing because we identified him last summer as someone we needed and I think it has probably gone as well as possible in terms of our stats defensively - how we have performed and how he has performed individually," Naismith stated.

"From that respect, it is really disappointing but it creates an opportunity for the others and I think we have got the cover. Kye [Rowles] has come back from the Asian Cup, Toby [Sibbick] and [Stephen] Kingsley have played there so we've got enough players to fill in the position."

The fallout from Wednesday night's derby centred around missiles being thrown onto the pitch. Dangerous objects including a corkscrew bottle opener were launched in the direction of Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland by Hibs fans in Tynecastle's Roseburn Stand.

"That is not acceptable," lamented Naismith. "It’s a great derby in Edinburgh, two passionate crowds. "There is a line, I understand it’s a derby and there is adrenaline running but there is a line you don’t cross - or else it won’t last.

"I think a line was crossed with some of the stuff that was thrown. I’ve played in a game where a player has been hit by a coin in the face and the damage these things can do is not nice. Hopefully we move on from it and there is no repeat."

Naismith is concerned that some supporters are endangering players' safety with their antics. "That’s the line, I think it’s gone a wee bit too far," he complained. "The banter, the abuse - players giving it back to the crowd, that is part of the game. People can get badly injured and it’s too much. We’re fortunate that the stadium is brilliant, it’s close to the pitch and it's intense and creates a great atmosphere but it’s not worth it if it’s putting players' safety at risk."