Hearts lose Ageu for months and Stuart Findlay for weeks - but scans show positive news on some other players
Tynecastle side are preparing to face Aberdeen
Hearts head coach Derek McInnes today provided an update on a number of injured players sent for medical scans. Goalkeeper Craig Gordon has a shoulder problem, as does Irish midfielder Oisin McEntee, defender Stuart Findlay has a hamstring complaint, Brazilian Eduardo Ageu a thigh issue, and midfielder Beni Baningime has a knee injury. In addition, winger Sabah Kerjota suffered a hip injury during Tuesday’s bounce game against Dundee at Riccarton.
Hearts will now be without Ageu until the end of the season as he requires surgery on a thigh injury, while Findlay will miss six weeks with a hamstring problem. Others had a more positive outcome and there is hope that Baningime could be available to face Aberdeen at Tynecastle this weekend. “The scans had varying degrees of success and bad news,” explained McInnes. “We need to identify quickly what we’re dealing with. We had 11 players unavailable to train today. We still have enough to train and put out a strong team on Saturday. My focus is on the ones who are available. We are just trying to get one or two who are in the 50/50 category.
“The ones who are in that category are Baningime, McEntee and Kerjota. Sabah picked up a wee hip strain yesterday. Oisin is seeing a specialist in Glasgow this morning following the result of his scan. We got that back last night, it was fairly positive but we need to get a direction from the specialist. Beni did some work with the physio yesterday. His scan came back pretty positive in the sense that it’s more bone bruising. We need to get a change of direction into him and hopefully if he does work today and tomorrow, then he will train on Friday. Beni seems pretty positive on that.
“The more more disappointing aspects are that Stu Findlay has picked up a hamstring injury and will be out for six weeks, and Ageu’s thigh injury is going to rule him out for the rest of the season. He is going to need an operation. It’s disappointing for him, he’s had no luck at all and I’ve never seen a boy work so hard but he’s heartbroken. He won’t be back now until pre-season so we just need to deal with that. We will support him. As it stands, Stu will miss the next four games as will Lawrence Shankland. Hopefully they will be back for the Motherwell game in April.”
Shankland suffered a hamstring strain in January and has been pushing to return in late March, but his return date now looks like being pushed back a couple of weeks. Midfielder Cammy Devlin could be back from an ankle problem in time to face Kilmarnock in the middle of next month.
On goalkeeper Gordon, McInnes added: “The scan wasn’t great reading but Craig is feeling better than the scan suggests. He’s got a follow-on appintment this morning. The scan showed there is something there that we need to try to manage. The likellihood is he won’t be avialble for the next couple of weeks and depending on what the specialist says he could be a dobubt for the Scotland get-together next month. Craig is still positive. It’s the opoosite side to the other shoulder and it’s just wear and tear over the years and it’s flared up - a consequence of the amount of football the boy has played.”
Gordon is eager to be fit to make Scotland’s World Cup squad this summer. McInnes rejected any suggestion that the tournament would be the keeper’s priority now. “No, it’s none of that, I think that would be unfair for him to just think he's going to get ready for the World Cup. I think we shouldn't even jump to conclusions,” he said.
“I think he's had a scan that shows that there's something there that we need to try and manage, but we do think, with the way Craig's feeling, he doesn't quite feel as bad as it was at the start of the season on the other side. Obviously, he got back and training available and played for us and Scotland [after that injury]. So the specialist appointment will give us a better steer on that. Hopefully, over the next 48 hours or so, we'll have a better idea of what the specialist suggests.”