Liam Boyce injury update as Hearts proceed with caution ahead of the new season

Northern Irishman is a key player and won’t be forced into action

Hearts are treating Liam Boyce’s calf injury with considerable caution ahead of the new league season. He will be used sparingly, if at all, during Sunday’s final pre-season friendly against Leeds United at Tynecastle Park as coaching staff look to ensure he is ready for the Premiership starting next week.

Boyce was taken off after only 34 minutes of Tuesday’s 3-1 closed-door friendly defeat against the English League Two side Mansfield Town. He had scored the opening goal at Tynecastle before the calf issue arose and he was quickly substituted for Jorge Grant.

Hearts are confident that the injury is only minor and that Boyce has a good chance of being ready for their first Premiership match away at St Johnstone a week on Saturday. He won’t be rushed back into action, though. The 32-year-old Northern Ireland internationalist has not played competitively in nearly a year since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament against St Johnstone in Edinburgh last August.

Medical staff at Riccarton are proceeding cautiously after the striker did not manage to train with the rest of the Hearts first-team squad during the latter part of this week. He will be assessed before the Leeds game but could be left out to avoid taking any unnecessary risk.

Recent signings Frankie Kent and Calem Nieuwenhof are pushing to be involved in the friendly. Kent, the English centre-back, will be important for Hearts whilst Craig Halkett works towards a return from his own cruciate ligament injury. Halkett is on course to play again in the autumn. Nieuwenhof, the Australian midfielder, received his UK visa earlier this week.