Hearts injuries ease: Peter Haring returns as Beni Baningime and Liam Boyce make positive progress

Hearts’ injury list is gradually shortening with midfielder Peter Haring back in full training after an absence of more than four months. Knee ligament casualties Beni Baningime and Liam Boyce are also making good progress in their recoveries.

Haring, the 29-year-old Austrian, has not played since last October after suffering concussion in a Premiership match at Aberdeen. Several comeback attempts were aborted due to persistent symptoms, but he has now completed a full training session with the first-team squad at Riccarton.

Hearts won’t rush him back into action and want to ensure he is 100 per cent before considering him for a matchday squad. They may wait until after March’s international break to reintroduce Haring to competitive football. However, seeing one of their most experienced players back training uninhibited is a positive for the Edinburgh club.

“The other day was Peter’s first day of full training,” reported manager Robbie Neilson. “He will probably be another couple of weeks before he is building up to being available, but he is getting there and that's great. He won't be far off it. I would think that he would definitely be available for us after the international break.”

Congolese midfielder Baningime and Northern Irish striker Boyce are both pushing to return before the end of the season. Baningime tore an anterior cruciate ligament in his knee last March and has spent the intervening period rehabilitating. Hearts felt he might not be fully fit again until next season but recent progress has raised hope of an earlier return for the former Everton player.

Boyce suffered a similar injury in August and is now stepping up his recovery. “Boycie and Baningime are both back running and are both at a similar stage,” said Neilson. “They will be another couple of months yet but it's good to see them out on the grass.

“Beni has been on the Alter-G [anti-gravity treadmill] and now he is running on the pitch. The first six months of his rehab were slow but recently he has picked up quite a bit, which is great to see. As always with these things you don't want to put an exact date on it, but he is coming along well.”

Hearts’ other long-term injury absentees are goalkeeper Craig Gordon, centre-back Craig Halkett and winger Gary Mackay-Steven. All three are expected to be out until next season.