Hearts injury scare ahead of Viktoria Plzen Europa League return match
Striker Lawrence Shankland has not trained this week
Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland is an injury doubt ahead of Thursday’s Europa League play-off return leg against Viktoria Plzen. The striker is nursing a knee complaint and has not trained this week, with medical staff monitoring him on a constant basis.
The Edinburgh club are 1-0 down on aggregate following last week’s first leg in Czechia and are eager to have Shankland available for the second match. They are hoping for a raucous atmosphere at Tynecastle Park to inspire a victory which would take them into the league phase of the Europa League.
Shankland suffered a knock on his knee during Sunday’s Premiership defeat at Motherwell, a problem which precluded him from first-team training at Riccarton on Tuesday and Wednesday. He is pushing to be ready to face Plzen and would make his 100th Hearts appearance if he is involved. For the moment, he remains touch-and-go.
“Shanks has got a wee ache in his knee. It’s just a contact injury so we will see how that is. Everybody else is fit,” said Steven Naismith, the Hearts head coach. “We will wait and see [on Shankland]. With a quick turnaround from the games, there is not much training. We will give it as long as possible and we will see how he is on Thursday.
“He reported in after the game on Sunday. There were a few other bumps and knocks but he is the only one who missed out on Tuesday and Wednesday on the pitch. He has been a big player for us. His record in the last two years is impressive. He is an experienced player. If he doesn’t get his 100th appearance on Thursday, I’m sure he will get it soon enough.”
The Costa Rican forward Kenneth Vargas is the most likely to play centre-forward if Shankland is ruled out. Northern Irishman Liam Boyce could also come into contention. Naismith is confident Hearts can cope either way. “Definitely. This season, I think Kenneth has had more shots than Lawrence in all the games but it's about taking them,” he said.
“Boycie has looked sharp in pre-season, he's had to be patient. We've also got James Wilson, who's young and eager and we want to introduce him to the first team. It's not just the strikers. We need to create good chances. That comes from guys like Blair Spittal, Yan Dhanda and Jorge Grant. We need to create chances, and when they come along we need to take them.”
Hearts are still seeking their first win of the season after five matches. That run has drawn criticism from fans amid substandard performances. Naismith responded to the flak in candid fashion and backed his players. “When you're not winning games, there's going to be criticism, especially being at a club the size of Hearts. I'm comfortable with that,” he remarked.
“I think we've got a good group of players that can be successful. We need to cut out the soft goals and take more of the chances we're creating. It's actually similar to the start of last season. At Dundee away last year, we conceded a cheap goal that cost us a result. St Mirren away was the same.
“Players that are new to the club, they'll take a bit of time to adapt and they'll make mistakes but I've got full belief in this squad. We've got a good squad. We built the consistency last season and finished the season off really well, so I've got no doubt this squad can get back to the same levels.”
READ MORE: Hearts players set to leave on loan
Hearts reaching the Europa League proper would be unprecedented for the Edinburgh club. The stakes are high on Thursday and Naismith is eager for his team to seize a golden opportunity. “The reward at the end of this 90 minutes, maybe 120 minutes, is massive,” he said. “It's very rarely done by teams outwith the Old Firm. We've got a great opportunity.
“We played Plzen last week, we carried a threat and defended really well until the last action of the game, so it's within our grasp. We need to do things better than we have been doing domestically. It would be a fantastic achievement to get there.”
Twelve months ago, Hearts returned from Norway with a 2-1 deficit after a Conference League qualifier first leg against Rosenborg. They lost an early goal in the home leg to go 3-1 behind on aggregate, but a rousing display earned progress on a 4-3 aggregate. Naismith wants players to draw on that experience and take as much confidence as possible
“That can help the players for a few different reasons,” he pointed out. “If we do get a setback in the game, it doesn't mean the tie is over. To what we do in the game that gets the crowd involved, all these small details and good memories are what players will remember from previous ties, so I think a few of them will have that in their mind tomorrow.
“I don't think Plzen will change overly. They can change their front three and the set-up of them, but I think they play their way and that's the way they play. That's why they've been consistent in Europe because they've got a good understanding of what they want to do.”