Hearts defender Harry Milne out for months as injury strikes again - free agent signings addressed
Tynecastle side suffer another blow before UEFA Conference League tie at Trabzonspor
Hearts’ already-bleak injury luck worsened today when it emerged defender Harry Milne could miss the rest of the season. He damaged a knee during Wednesday’s pre-match training session for the UEFA Conference League tie against Trabzonspor in Turkiye. He will return to Edinburgh in a protective boot and on crutches, and a scan on Friday will confirm the full extent of the problem.
It is expected that Milne will be out for several months and may not play again until next season. Hearts staff are fearing the worst for the left-back but hoping for some kind of positive news. Milne has been a regular in the team this season under head coach Wouter Vrancken and any prolonged absence would be another problem for the Belgian to contend with.
He is already without long-term injury victims Craig Halkett, Blair Spittal and Tom Renaud, while Oisin McEntee did not travel to Trabzon because of a calf problem. Centre-back Stuart Findlay also remained at home because of a groin issue. Another midfielder, Eduardo Ageu, is sidelined with a muscle complaint at the moment.
Stephen Kingsley is not in the team to face Trabzonspor because his workload is being managed during a hectic schedule of games this month. The extent of Hearts’ injury problems is underlined by teenager Gus Stevenson being named among the substitutes this evening. Finlay Pollock is also named on the bench despite being out injured since April 2025. Full-back Jordi Altena is expected to fill a midfield role to compensate for the lack of options in that department. Laurent Mendy has a knock and was left on the bench.
The club have so far resisted any temptation to enter the transfer market for free agents and thus reinforce their squad. It is understood that option won’t be considered yet, for Tynecastle officials would prefer to wait until the January transfer window opens to bring in some new recruits. However, their 33-man first-team squad is now becoming increasingly threadbare due to relentless injuries.
When asked if he could do without the Milne injury, Vrancken said in his pre-match TNT Sports interview. "Yeah, for sure. I think we have just one midfielder left. It's Tomas Magnusson, also Laurent Mendy because of the game at Celtic he got a kick on the ankle, so he's not fully fit. And Stephen Kingsley, we know with the load it's also a risk to play him, so we try to manage it with the other players. Sunday, it's a big blow, and you have to step up now and show team spirit, to step up from the game then. In this run of games you have to step over emotions, the positives and the negatives, to go towards and focus on the next one.
“They have to believe in a result and a good performance. The Celtic game, you analyse it, you speak about it and you try to do better, in general. It's now just managing the profiles we've got and trying to get everybody in a situation that they feel comfortable in.
“Trabzonspor is the same level as Benfica. When we analysed them, we saw the results, especially with the new manager coming in and winning every game I think. It's a really good side with individuals who can make a difference. We have to be together, close together, and put a strong performance on the pitch."