Craig Halkett returns to action at Hearts alongside Craig Gordon after 11 months out

Two mainstays are set to play together for the first time since last December

Hearts defender Craig Halkett and goalkeeper Craig Gordon are scheduled to play together for the first time in 11 months when the Edinburgh club host Queen's Park in a friendly.

Halkett is now ready to return to non-competitive action after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament last December against Dundee United. Gordon broke his leg in the same match and has managed two friendly appearances in recent weeks.

Both mainstays will take to the field on Wednesday in a closed-door match against Championship side Queen's. It is a significant boost for Hearts seeing two experienced figures take a major step forward in their recovery from injury.

"A big part of it is to help those two along with their recovery, but I think it's really important that we do play [closed-door] games regularly," explained Steven Naismith, the Hearts head coach, speaking to the Edinburgh News.

"It helps guys who haven't featured much or only got on for 10 to 15 minutes at the weekend. Drilling into everybody what we want exactly, the best way to do that is during a match. It's not realistic to do that every day. In the early part of a week and on these international breaks, it's massively important.

"We have a game on Wednesday against Queen's Park and we will be in training on Thursday as well. We have used international breaks well and this is another opportunity. Everybody who is not away on international duty will be playing in the game. Nathaniel Atkinson and Barrie McKay are the only two who won't play. Craig Gordon and Craig Halkett will play."

Halkett's rehabilitation has continued at a steady pace and the player's calm focus drew praise from Naismith. "Towards the end of last week was the moment where you could say Halkett was ready to push on," he said. "He has been on the training pitch for a while. He has been really good at not panicking to any small feelings you get when you go back on the training field.

"He will have done all the movements and changing direction with the physios and rehab group. In training, you are focusing on the ball or defending a goal. You make split decisions and you don't think about them. That's when you can feel those bits of tightness or feelings you haven't felt until then.

"Halks has been really good at understanding that and not letting it affect him. That's why he has pushed on quite well over the past two or three weeks. He is a really good leader with a real vocal presence on the pitch.

"I think he has been to every first-team game, home and away, over these last two months. He is wanting to help. That's because he is a leader and is a character who wants to improve the squad. It's brilliant for him to come back and he is really focused."

Hearts' conservative estimate is that it will be nearer the end of the year, or possibly into 2024, before Halkett and Gordon are both back playing competitively.