Fresh concern that Peter Haring's Hearts career might now be finished

Peter Haring is to undergo surgery on a persistent knee injury, raising concerns that he may have played his last game for Hearts. The Austrian midfielder is out of contract this summer and is now facing an extended recovery period.

He will have the operation in the next few days but his recuperation time depends on how straightforward the process is. Hearts and Haring are naturally hoping for the best possible outcome as the player's six-year stay at Tynecastle Park draws towards a close.

"He is going to get surgery soon," head coach Steven Naismith confirmed to the Edinburgh News. The other side of that is yet to be known, just because of the type of operation it is. If what they do is pretty straightforward, then it's quicker. If not, it could be a couple of months or a wee bit longer."

Haring has made only eight appearances for Hearts this season, the most recent coming at Livingston on 2 January. There have been no discussions about extending his contract. He first arrived in Gorgie from the Austrian club SV Ried in 2018 and quickly became popular with supporters.

"Pete has had his times here with injuries," explained Naismith. "He has a real maturity and a clear mind with his injuries that he understands what it is. He understands he needs this and wants to get it, and then he will work really hard. The end goal is that he gets back to playing, first of all. Knowing him, he will push as hard as he can to do that as quick as he can and he will be ready.

"In the time Pete has been here, he has turned himself into a fans' favourite. He has a good association with the club and had a good time here. We haven't really looked that far ahead, yet. We will just play that out as we see what happens."

Fresh concern that Peter Haring's Hearts career might be over