Hearts update on transfer targets, Barrie McKay, Beni Baningime and a winter break friendly

Plan for the next few weeks is laid out at Riccarton

Hearts players have been given an extended rest during the winter break and face a demanding training regime when they return to Riccarton. The first-team squad were told to recuperate following Tuesday's 2-1 win at Livingston, which was their eighth game since the start of December, as the Premiership takes its yearly hiatus.

The Edinburgh club don't play again until the Scottish Cup fourth-round tie at Spartans on 20 January, so players have been given extra time off. A friendly game will take place - expected to be behind closed doors - as part of an intense training programme prior to the Spartans match. Hearts then host Dundee and Aberdeen in the league within a matter of days.

"The players will get some time off and I think they need it," admitted the Hearts head coach, Steven Naismith. "We will give them an extended time off, rather than coming back for a camp. I don’t think that would be value for money or beneficial for the players.

"When we come back we will have a block of four days that are really tough with a game which will get everybody back up to speed. And then we have got three games in a week in our first week back, which will be good for us getting back into the rhythm of games."

Naismith gave a candid reply on whether Tynecastle would welcome any new signings before competitive football resumes. "I have said consistently that the right-back area is something we need to strengthen," he stated. "Ideally, we will get them in sooner rather than later. Hopefully in the next week or so we will have more information of the exact target or two that we are looking for. We will take it from there but in football it’s rarely that straightforward."

Winger Barrie McKay and midfielder Beni Baningime missed Hearts' last two games before the winter shutdown. McKay suffered a knee injury in the Edinburgh derby win against Hibs, the full extent of which has yet to be confirmed. Baningime was not risked against Ross County or Livingston due to a combination of fatigue and a knee issue.

Naismith hopes to have more clarity on McKay's injury by the end of this week. "We will hear some feedback from his scan on the 4th or the 5th," explained the head coach. "We will find out then what the timescale is for it. Everybody seems to be thinking that it is not as serious as before. That’s the indication we’ve got but we will wait and see what the specialist says."

McKay was absent for more than three months earlier this season due to a posterior cruciate ligament injury. "It’s the same knee. It’s not specifically the same injury," said Naismith. He explained that Baningime was not risked on Livingston's astroturf on Tuesday.

"He was feeling fatigued and he was really knackered after the last game [against Hibs]. He had a wee feeling in his knee and, especially with the surface, I wasn’t willing to risk him."