Hearts take action to accelerate Beni Baningime's injury recovery - plus Calem Nieuwenhof comeback latest
Both midfielders have been absent during the summer
It will be several weeks yet before Hearts midfielders Beni Baningime and Calem Nieuwenhof are fit for first-team duty, but the club are confident they are making progress. Injuries kept both players out of pre-season games and they missed Saturday’s first William Hill Premiership match against Rangers at Tynecastle Park.
Baningime is nursing a calf-related issue but has been given an injection to accelerate his progress. Hearts management are hopeful he will resume outdoor training before the end of the month. Nieuwenhof is gradually working back from a hamstring problem which required surgery in the spring. He visited a specialist two weeks ago.
The two midfielders have not enjoyed the benefits of a full pre-season programme and Riccarton coaches are therefore determined not to push them too hard. It is hoped they could be ready for action at some point in September, but the situation is fluid.
“Beni got an injection and hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, we will see him developing onto the grass individually,” the Hearts head coach Steven Naismith told the Edinburgh News. “Calem is just working away. I would hope to say it’s not going to be months and months. It will be shorter than that, but their fitness is off so they are going to need to build up slowly.”
After the 0-0 draw with Rangers, Hearts travel to Dundee for their second league match of the season on Saturday. The match kicks off at 5.30pm and will be broadcast live on Premier Sports 1.