There are several options at his disposal and Wouter Vrancken will soon have to pick who starts for him in his first game as Hearts head coach.
The Jambos face Sturm Graz in Austria next week during the first leg of their Champions League second round qualifier that precedes a return meeting at Tynecastle seven days later. A range of pre-season friendlies against St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Livingston, Arbroath and Rayo Vallecano have been used to build fitness and determine who best fits the Belgian’s tactical plans.
New signings have been made in plentiful supply but the likes of Lawrence Shankland, Cammy Devlin, Marc Leonard, Beni Baningime, Michael Steinwender and Frankie Kent have all departed the team who finished second in the Premiership last season. There are plenty of players for Vrancken to choose from but who will get the nod when action gets going? We have assessed the current options in Gorgie to try and work out who will fit into what could be the club’s strongest XI as things stand right now. Here are our selections.
9. Striker
Shankland's exit has freed the Portuguese striker up as the leading striker at Hearts. He has been strongly linked with an exit though and Pierre Landry Kabore could then step up as a physical focal point for players around him to bounce off. James Wilson will also be keen for chances after returning from a loan into Tottenham's academy while Elton Kabangu is on the fringes. Amadou Ba-Sy is yet to come into the picture after illness so it will take time before he's ready to start. | SNS Group
10. Verdict
Vrancken has a massive squad and picking a matchday crop will be difficult, so selecting 11 players to start the game is a lottery in terms of predictions. That said, based on some of the pre-season matches and selection choices, this is where we feel Hearts are strongest, but there are several ways this team could be fielded come kick-off in Austria. (4-2-3-1) Schwolow (then Reus from August 1); Altena, Fagan-Walcott, McCart, Milne; McEntee, Renaud; Kyziridis, Guendouz, Miller; Braga. | SNS Group