Hearts face difficulties as Cammy Logan bids to return from injury

Teenage Hearts defender Cammy Logan is struggling for games to improve fitness on his return from injury.

Hearts teen Cammy Logan is over his back injury.

The absence of a reserve league in Scotland leaves him with only the occasional bounce match to reach peak condition, with manager Robbie Neilson admitting first-team involvement is not yet possible.

Logan suffered a back injury during pre-season training at Riccarton and resumed full training last month. He is Hearts’ deputy right wing-back behind Michael Smith and needs more second-string outings before he can play at senior level.

“Cammy has been in full training for a few weeks,” Neilson told the Evening News. “The problem is there are no reserve games so that makes it difficult to get him involved. He played in the bounce game we had during the international break a couple of weeks ago.

“We will have another bounce game next month when the internationals are on. It’s just trying to get Cammy game time. He is training well and getting fitter. He seems to be over his back problem so we will see how he does over the next six weeks.

“I’d like to feed him in because he needs to progress. We didn’t bring in another right-sided full-back or wing-back over the summer because we hoped Cammy would want to step in if Michael was out.

“He just had this back issue at the start of the season and it took him a while to get over it. He’s through it now so hopefully that’s him and he can kick on.”

Neilson is preparing to make use of his squad as Hearts embark on three games in a week. Dundee visit Tynecastle Park today before trips to St Johnstone on Wednesday and Aberdeen next Saturday.

“We have three games in a week so we need to think about that, whether we are going to bring people in or leave any out. We have a good squad here and we need to try to utilise it,” said the manager.

“The players know what they need to do, they’ve been working away on the same kind of stuff throughout the season. I’d back them to go and do it.

“Every game is big because we need to keep winning. We are building up momentum and getting into the games but we know how quickly that can dissipate. We need to focus on the game on Saturday and make sure we put a team out to win.”

Undefeated in nine league games since rejoining the Premiership, Hearts want to keep that record in tact. “The players have done really well in the games this season. We still have another two to go before the first round of games is complete. Then we will assess where we are,” explained Neilson.

“We are sitting in a good position just now but there is still a lot of hard work to come. The old saying is you are only as good as your last game. We got a draw in our last game [against Rangers] so hopefully we can go and win the next one.”

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