Exclusive:Hearts wait on two players for Kilmarnock trip, updates on others, Wouter Vrancken demands clear heads

Wouter Vrancken today advised Hearts players to clear their heads and react accordingly following defeat at Falkirk. The Edinburgh club travel to the Premiership’s bottom side, Kilmarnock, on Saturday evening and the head coach is demanding a response to Tuesday night’s 2-1 reverse at the Falkirk Stadium.

Hearts lost for the first time in 10 games as Ben Krauhaus and Owen Eames scored either side of James Wilson’s equaliser. Despite missing a raft of first-team players through injury, Vrancken was not keen to accept excuses. He wants his team to show character and stand up at Rugby Park to avoid entering the three-week international break on the back of two disappointing results.

“We had a really good run of games so standing up on Saturday would give a bit of positivity again,” the Belgian told the Edinburgh News. “The boys deserve this feeling to go into the break. But it’s not just what you want, it’s showing it on the pitch and getting it yourself. That’s what we have to do on Saturday.

“It was just a poor game from us against Falkirk, just not good enough in possession or out of possession. It’s about sticking together. We had to match their energy and we didn’t do it. It’s disappointing when you see it happening. You have one moment with a lack of concentration and then you go behind. It was too easy, not only the situation itself but the slow reaction to get back into organisation.

“Then I saw some sort of panic in the team that we normally don’t have any more. We were too reactive, just looking at situations instead of finding solutions. On the ball, for the players who have to give solutions, it was not good enough. The players know it was not good enough. I told them. We spoke about it already at half-time.

“We could have scored and changed the game with JJ Williams’ chance early in the second half. Then we gave a goal away for a second time and we didn’t deserve it after that. Now it’s time to clear your head because you cannot change it any more. The most important thing is how you react to this on Saturday.”

Hearts still have seven players unavailable either through injury or because they are working back to full match sharpness after being sidelined. Those are Zander Clark, Craig Halkett, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Eduardo Ageu, Tom Renaud, Blair Spittal and Finlay Pollock.

Vrancken is hopeful Icelandic midfielder Tomas Magnusson will be in the squad for Kilmarnock after a stomach complaint. Versatile Irishman Oisin McEntee is still striving to overcome a calf problem which precluded him from Hearts’ last two matches. He will be given every chance for the Kilmarnock game. “It’s difficult to say at the moment,” said Vrancken. “I think Tomas will be fit again because he was feeling a bit sick. I assume in a few days he will be much better. With Oisin, it’s difficult to say right now. I think the rest are still the same.”

Ageu and Fagan-Walcott are due to return next month after the international break and Pollock is working on his fitness. Spittal is expected back some time in November, while Renaud and Halkett are longer-term. Clark should be another few weeks.

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