Finlay Pollock's mysterious Hearts absence explained after a year out of the Tynecastle first team

Teenager is gradually making progress ahead of a return to action

Teenage Hearts midfielder Finlay Pollock is finally nearing a return to action after a year out of the club's first team. A persistent knee problem halted the promising 19-year-old's progress but he is working on fitness in order to be playing before the end of the year.

Pollock has not featured for the Hearts senior side since an impressive substitute appearance against Istanbul Basaksehir in the Europa Conference League last November. Recurring knee pain led to a diagnosis of patellar tendonitis, leaving the player frustrated as he tried to build a career at first-team level.

After repeated attempts to train and play through pain, Pollock has rested since the summer and is now approaching a return. Hearts are content to let him work at his own pace before reintroducing him to competitive football.

Speaking exclusively to the Evening News, head coach Steven Naismith explained the situation. "It's not an injury as such. Finlay has tendonitis in his patellar," he said. "I've had it and it's just a dull pain that starts. Once you are warm in training, you get on with it and go through it. Finlay has had to deal with this over the last year or so.

"Under the previous management and with myself, he has been desperate to impress and get involved so he has tried to play through it. Inevitably, it catches up on you and that is what has happened. He took a longer period to make sure it's gone. He has looked really good and used the time really well in the gym. So it's just building him up now."

Pollock made his senior Hearts debut in April 2021 after emerging from the Riccarton youth academy. He spent time on loan at East Fife the following year and remains one of the Edinburgh club's highly-rated young players.