Hearts ace eyes Jambos XI return vs Rangers as teammate plays through pain barrier to play key role in Falkirk
The Hearts star had a fitness concern but pushed through to make the match.
Derek McInnes has revealed one Hearts star played through the pain game to make a key contribution to Saturday’s clash with Falkirk.
The Jambos won 2-0 in Grangemouth thanks to goals from Claudio Braga and Stephen Kingsley either side of half-time. Perhaps just as crucial was a block by Harry Milne before half-time with the game still split by a single goal, getting back to prevent a goal-bound shot by Kyrell Wilson hitting the net after the Falkirk attacker had keeper Alexander Schwolow beat.
Milne had flagged a thigh concern before kick-off and went through late testing to decide whether or not he was good to go. Suspended next week against Rangers after an accumulation of bookings, he was an impressive performer overall, before being replaced by match-winner Kingsley. Boss McInnes was pleased on two fronts, one with Milne’s contribution, and also getting minutes in the legs of Kingsley prior to next week’s Rangers battle as he could possibly come into the XI.
What Hearts star had fitness concerns ahead of Falkirk?
“Harry felt his thigh before the game. He hadn't reported anything when we named the team on Friday. He then contacted me and the physio on Friday night, just saying he felt a bit tighten up a wee bit. He went in for a fitness test at lunchtime, just to make sure. We decided to let him do the fitness test really when he got here as well.
“I thought once he got here that the adrenaline and the smell of the stadium and everything else would sway his decision and thankfully that was the case, but it did stiffen up.
“It was good to give Stephen Kingsley some minutes because obviously next week with Harry not being there, he now goes into the game with a real focus to make himself available for that one.”
Derek McInnes on Hearts win at Falkirk
Assessing the game that followed on from victory at second-placed Celtic, McInnes added: ”I never felt we were too far away but he results would tell you differently. Winning at Celtic Park at any time in the season takes a big performance.
“There was a lot made of Celtic's performance in that but I actually thought we were good in the game in terms of what was required. We got the good from that, it means we came into this game with a wee bit more belief potentially. Away from home we've got a really strong record.
“I think we have got the best away record in the league. These were difficult games to navigate but we've now got a cracker next Sunday against Rangers at home and we're only five games shy of that second round of fixtures completing. So the intention and the hope is we just treat every game in isolation with the merit it deserves and hopefully we can just keep picking up enough wins in this little section. It was a tough game, tough conditions, but sometimes they're the best ones when you look back over a season.”