John Souttar progress report as Hearts defender could return to training next month

Hearts defender John Souttar is making good progress in his rehabilitation.

The 24-year-old is running at speed and doing individual ballwork at the club’s Riccarton headquarters but won’t be rushed back into the team until he is 100 per cent ready.

His progress report makes for positive reading so far as he strives to return from a third snapped Achilles. Hearts manager Robbie Neilson is hoping Souttar will gradually resume training at some point in March.

“He’s been running fine and he’s also done high-speed running. He did 1300 metres the other day, which is the most he’s managed yet. It’s actually more than you would do in a game,” Neilson explained to the Evening News.

“He still isn’t training with the first team. He is doing little bits himself and we have to be really gradual with that. He is doing ballwork but only individually.

“He is probably another month before he is even near coming in with us. Even then, it would just be low-end stuff like the warm up and the basic stuff at the start before he gets anywhere near it.

“John is doing brilliantly and he’s looking good. We just need to take our time with him. The aim is still to get him back for next season.”

Souttar first ruptured his Achilles in January 2017 and then suffered the injury in the other heel 12 months ago. The same tendon injured last year snapped again back in August.

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