Hearts give a timeline for Steven Naismith's return from injury

Hearts captain Steven Naismith will be assessed at Riccarton today and could return to training tomorrow if his calf injury allows it.

The Scotland international forward was running earlier this week but remains touch-and-go for Saturday’s Championship match against Ayr United at Tynecastle Park.

A lingering calf complaint forced him off two weeks ago against Inverness Caledonian Thistle and he missed last weekend's win over Dundee.

The 34-year-old will be allowed to make the final decision on when he returns. Hearts are hopeful he could at least make the substitutes’ bench against Ayr if he manages to complete a full training session beforehand.

“Naisy has been running and we will have a look at him today to potentially train on Friday,” manager Robbie Neilson explained to the Evening News. “We will just see how Naisy thinks his calf is and whether he feels 100 per cent ready to be involved.

“You miss his experience in the team because he is great to have about the place. His calf has been a problem for a wee while now. Before I came in I think he maybe came back too early from certain things and it flared up again.

“We will just help him through it. Naisy will make the decision about whether he is right or not.”

Hearts will be without the Austrian midfielder Peter Haring for the next two matches as a result of his red card in the dying seconds against Dundee.

Hearts captain Steven Naismith could feature this weekend if he manages to train on Friday.

Tynecastle officials decided not to appeal the decision and Haring will now be suspended against Ayr on Saturday and Arbroath next weekend.

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