Hearts boss Craig Levein admits Steven Naismith cup final dilemma

Hearts manager Craig Levein may not play Steven Naismith in the Scottish Cup final, even if the striker is able to recover enough to make himself available for selection.

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The forward has been absent since being substituted at half-time of Hearts’ 2-1 loss to Celtic in February after suffering his second knee injury of the campaign.

The 32-year-old went under the knife to fix the problem and is currently in a race against time to be fit for the showdown against Celtic on May 25.

Hearts attacker Steven Naismith hasn't played since February. Picture: SNS

However, with Levein currently in talks with the player over a new contract, he admits he may not field Naismith if there’s any chance it could hamper his long-term fitness.

“It’s a bit of a dilemma,” he said. “If we are going to sign him on a long-term contract and push him just now, it might cause us a problem going forward.

“I don’t want to push him, push him, push him and he comes back too early and it causes him problems.”

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