Hearts injury update on five players: Key star to miss Stenhousemuir, Ageu approach, possible position switch
Hearts have provided their squad latest ahead of a Premier Sports Cup tie at Stenhousemuir.
Wouter Vrancken says Oisin McEntee will miss Hearts’ Premier Sports Cup tie with Stenhousemuir as he provided an update on five playwers.
The Irish ace, who can play centre-back or in midfield, was taken off at half-time during Sunday’s Premiership win over Dundee at Tynecastle after a muscle concern. Hearts are already missing Tom Renaud and Blair Spittal long-term in midfield, and while he started the game in defence, McEntee is a candidate to cover those absent teammates with Ageu still recovering from his most recent injury.
Laurent Mendy and Tomas Magnusson were the only natural midfielders available to head coach Vrancken against Dundee, and speaking ahead of Friday’s quarter-final with the Warriors at Ochilview, head coach Vrancken says McEntee is out of the game. He could make next Tuesday’s Premiership match at Falkirk, though, with defenders Stephen Kingsley and Malachi Fagan-Walcott back in training following recent injuries.
Will Oisin McEntee play for Hearts against Stenhousemuir?
“A lot of games, so it's always managing fatigue and stuff like this,” said Vrancken in a squad update. “The only player who didn't train is Oisin. So he will be out and the rest is able to play. I hope he will be ready for the Falkirk game. It's nothing too serious, but always when it's muscles, always being sure that it's okay. Malachi trained for the first time now. Kingsley has already had a lot of sessions and training. A week now, I think, or something like that.”
Vrancken also provided an update on midfielder Ageu. The Brazilian signed from Santa Clara last summer has had an injury-hit Hearts spell and is yet to play this season. Amid depleted options in midfield, he won’t be rushed back into contention, as Falkirk and Kilmarnock come before a three-week international break kicks in later this month.
“When you ask him, he will say tomorrow, so don't ask him,” joked Vrancken. “It's always being a bit careful with him. He's eager to be there as soon as possible. It would be great actually to take him over the international break. That would be the perfect situation. I think he can be taking minutes earlier but we want to protect him a little bit against himself because it's not so simple to come back from this. So we have to watch out a little bit.”
Finlay Pollock’s comeback has also been discussed by the head coach. The academy product missed the entirety of last season with injury but is stepping up his return to the fold under the Belgian. There could even be a position change from attacking areas to full-back.
Hearts injury latest
“It's good to see those guys coming back,” added Vrancken. “It's his first time back now. So you saw the energy, you saw these guys when you come back from a long injury. Then you want to show, you want to have the pleasure of playing again. So this you see also with him and with all the guys who come back.
“But again, I hope that he can show himself because he showed some good things before he got the injury. And now also you see some moments that he has the quality, he has also the pace, so he's really fast. So for sure he has qualities that he can add something with the group. But also with him, it's a case of being really careful.
“I will have these talks with him, how he sees himself, because that also makes a lot of difference. But again, there are opportunities, possibilities to play him as well as the wingers, as well as on a full-back, I think. We'll discuss it when he is going to be ready to play some games and maybe in the break again when we play a friendly or so that he can take some minutes already to feel it a little bit and then we'll see.”
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