Craig Halkett reveals reason behind injury woes as Hearts defender shares European frustrations

Craig Halkett has played just 22 minutes of football since leaving the park against Zurich in mid-August with a hamstring issue which has not only wrecked his European dreams but also derailed the beginning of Hearts’ season.

Fortunately for player and club, things are finally looking up with Halkett due to return to action at some point in the coming fixtures as the centre-back is now back again in full training. Hearts have been cautious with the 27-year-old this time around after his previous comeback in the away trip to RFS was cut short midway through the first half.

But regardless of what it may look like to fans on the outside looking, Halkett insists he wasn’t rushed back for the Europa Conference League encounter. Instead, the root of the problem extends all the way back to last season and how he had to delay surgery on an ankle operation to recover sufficiently enough to play in Hearts’ 2-0 Scottish Cup final defeat to Rangers.

“It's been a bit of a slow process, but everything is going well now. I've been back outside for a couple of weeks and starting to ease my way back into full training, so hopefully not too much longer,” he told the Evening News at a Game4Padel event in Edinburgh Park heralding the launch of new courts in the Capital for the growing sport.

Craig Halkett attended a Game4Padel event in Edinburgh Park to launch the opening of new courts in the capital. Picture: Andy Mather

“I don't really have a goal in mind, to be honest. It's not 'it's going to be four weeks, it's going to be two weeks' it's just about taking every day as it comes. Then the decision will likely be made two or three days before the game whenever I'm fully ready to come back.

“It was the hamstring problem both times, really. I did get a calf issue but that was just a minor thing which cleared up after a few days and it's just been the hamstring again. It's just been something that's been quite niggling and is taking its time to get back to 100 per cent.

“I wasn't rushed back at all for the game in Riga. I felt fine. I'd done training the night before.

“I think if we're looking at the bigger picture it goes back to the end of last season where I delayed surgery on my ankle to play in the cup final. It was just more about missing a couple of weeks of pre-season. I was behind the rest of the squad. Obviously I managed to get through three or four games at the start of the season without anything, but I was always in a higher risk category of picking up an injury just because I'd done a wee bit less training than everyone else. It was more about that rather than being rushed back.”

Craig Halkett was forced off injured just 22 minutes into his return during the match with RFS in September. Picture: SNS

As much as his team have missed him, it’s been a wrench for Halkett to sit on the sidelines while his club-mates play on the continent against the likes of Serie A side Fiorentina. Having been taken off twice in the first-half in his two appearances so far, it’s not exactly the introduction to European football that he had in mind.

“We've obviously worked so hard last season to get into third place and play in Europe. Everyone has been so excited to play in it, so it's been frustrating from that point of view,” he said. “And then there's missing all the games in the league and results the last three or four weeks haven't been great. There have been some good performances in there but we haven't been picking up as many points as we would've liked. It's been tough sitting on the side watching the games. Hopefully it's not going to be too much longer.

“It's been tough. We've had some new signings come in. Lewis Neilson has come in and done well, and obviously Toby [Sibbick] has been there as well. With them and [Stephen] Kingsley, if you make up the combinations there's probably been five or six different variations of a back four which has played this year. For any team, no matter what level, that's really tough to deal with.

“The boys are doing the best they can. I think with stuff like this it just takes a while to kind of glue. Obviously we conceded a few goals on Saturday [in the 4-3 loss to Celtic], which isn't ideal, but I think everybody could see from the performance levels that we're still sticking at it. It'll just take a bit of time.”

Craig Halkett has been forced into the role of spectator due to his injury troubles. Picture: SNS

When Halkett returns to the domestic scene there will be the additional wrinkle of VAR to contend with. The technology made its debut in Scottish football last weekend with the match at Tynecastle between Robbie Neilson’s side and champions Celtic being the first televised game. It also featured the first VAR check when referee Nick Walsh checked the sideline replay screen before awarded Hearts a first-half penalty.

“I don't think I'll need to do anything differently,” said Halkett of there being more eyes on the pitch now. “From my point of view, in the back of your head, you'll maybe be a bit more worried about corners and that because there's a fair amount of grappling which goes on. It'll take a bit of time to figure out how much the referees and those in the VAR studio are willing to allow. It will take some getting used to but you just need to play your usual game and see how it goes.

“We picked up a penalty that otherwise we wouldn't have got. I think it's good. There's going to be wee small issues, like in terms of time and stuff like that, but as the weeks go on I don't think there's any doubt things will speed up. It helps referees and you hope more decisions are going to be picked up and given as correct instead of incorrect.”

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