Exclusive:Hearts update on Calvin Miller & Tomas Magnusson, contingency plans, 10 players out and UEFA rule barrier
Wouter Vrancken explains the current situation at Riccarton
Hearts are making contingency plans for Thursday’s UEFA Conference League tie against FC Thun with 10 first-team players now sidelined. Riccarton staff are cursing their luck following Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final defeat by Hibs at Hampden, which saw Tomas Magnusson and Calvin Miller join the club’s lengthy injury list.
Magnusson, the Iceland midfielder, was taken to hospital with concussion, while winger Miller suffered a knee problem. Both were forced off in the first half and are already ruled out of this week’s European trip to Switzerland, plus Sunday’s Premiership match against Falkirk at Tynecastle. Magnusson will follow concussions protocol and won’t return until later this month. Miller is due for a scan on his injury today after leaving Hampden on crutches with his leg in a brace.
“Tomas went to the hospital and was feeling much better on Sunday night,” Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken told the Edinburgh News. “He had a concussion and there is a protocol with concussions, so he will not play before the international break. We only have two games left so if it’s seven to 10 days for the protocol, he will not be available. Calvin is going for a scan this afternoon. Hopefully it’s okay with him. He injured his knee on the outside so we will see.”
Already on Hearts’ injury list are defenders Christian Borchgrevink, Craig Halkett and Harry Milne, midfielders Oisin McEntee, Blair Spittal, Tom Renaud and Eduardo Ageu, plus forward Rogers Mato. Midfielder Yan Dhanda is not in the club’s European squad, leaving Laurent Mendy as the only fit midfield player. Vrancken does not expect any of the injured players fit in time to make Hearts’ charter flight out of Edinburgh on Wednesday.
“No, I don’t think so. Stuart Findlay was back in the squad on Sunday, but the others, no,” he said. “Ageu is back on the pitch but it will be too early for him. He has not trained with the group yet. Knowing that Yan is not in the European list makes it harder again. Amadou Ba-Sy is also not in the squad so he cannot play on Thursday, although we have enough strikers.”
Thun’s astroturf surface means Hearts must be careful with some players who are susceptible to muscle problems. “Everybody is in my thoughts and it's possible for them all to play,” said Vrancken. “We will discuss everything because it's astro in Thun, so I'm not sure if we can use Kings [Stephen Kingsley], for example. We need to see if he can play in both of our games this week. We have to see what we can do there and who we can play in midfield.
"Mendy is available but he is only playing at this level this season because before he was playing in the fifth tier. He is the only midfielder left for Thursday. If we put Jordi Altena in midfield, Mato or Miller could normally play right-back but they are both injured. We have to reform somebody if we want a new right-back, or we find somebody who can play next to Mendy.”
Finlay Pollock is fit but has not played any competitive football since suffering a torn hamstring on loan at Raith Rovers in April 2025. He may be needed at some stage in Switzerland. Part of Hearts’ contingency plan is to play him in an under-19 match on Tuesday afternoon. “It’s difficult to say because he has not had the opportunity to play some minutes,” explained Vrancken.
“We are going to let him play one half with the under-19s on Tuesday so that he can get some match action because it’s a long time since he played. His latest injury was just before the Dundee bounce game. It’s difficult to say how ready he is because he has not played. He is only training.”
UEFA rules are strict on squad amendments during the league phase of any competition. They permit clubs to replace one outfield player and one goalkeeper in the event of injury, but Hearts already replaced Spittal with defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott. They would like to add Dhanda or one of their recent teenage signings, Aron Benjaminsen and Leart Kabashi. However, Vrancken does not expect that will be possible.
“I don't think so. We will check it but I don't think so. We will for sure take the young guys Gus Stevenson and Matthew Gillies with us.” Stevenson and Gillies, both midfielders, have been unused substitutes in some of Hearts’ previous European matches this season.