Hearts starlet Harry Cochrane faces six weeks out through injury

Hearts received another injury blow today as teenager Harry Cochrane faces four to six weeks out with a hamstring injury.

Harry Cochrane las only 15 minutes of the derby defeat

He was forced off 15 minutes into Friday’s Edinburgh derby after pulling his hamstring and medics have predicted an absence of several weeks for the midfielder.

With Don Cowie, David Milinkovic, Arnaud Djoum, Demetri Mitchell, Jamie Brandon, Rory Currie all missing against Hibs, it is yet more unwanted news for the Hearts manager Craig Levein.

Cochrane went down in the early stages of Friday’s match at Easter Road and had to hobble off. Anthony McDonald took his place as Hearts lost 2-0 to their city neighbours.

The injury is high up on his hamstring and will take between four and six weeks to heal, putting the 16-year-old out of action until nearer the end of April.

He has played 18 times for Hearts in his debut campaign and delivered a string of impressive displays in central midfield. Despite his youth, he is ahead of some far more experienced campaigners in the pecking order for the first-team.

Cochrane was named in the Scotland Under-17 squad last week for forthcoming European Championship Elite Round qualifiers. However, the hamstring problem will almost certainly force him to withdraw.