London-based specialist gives Hearts his verdict on Ageu's latest injury
Brazilian midfielder is nursing a hamstring tear
A London-based hamstring specialist has delivered his verdict on Hearts midfielder Eduardo Ageu’s latest injury. The player had an appointment with medical experts on Wednesday evening and received confirmation that he will miss several weeks of football.
The specialist studied scan images of Ageu’s problem, which is a slight tear in a different area of the same hamstring he injured on his Hearts debut back in August. The problem will not require an operation but will keep the Brazilian out of action until the New Year.
It is hoped he will be fit again in around six weeks, potentially a little longer depending on how quickly the tendon can heal. Ageu will be given time to recover and will then undergo a rehabilitation programme, which will be monitored by Hearts medical staff.
Speaking on Wednesday afternoon prior to the specialist appointment, the Hearts head coach Derek McInnes admitted that Ageu is dejected at his bad luck with injuries since arriving in Edinburgh from Portuguese club Santa Clara in a club-record £1.7m deal in August.
The player damaged a hamstring on his debut at Livingston and was initially sidelined for two months. He returned against Celtic on 26 October but then suffered another minor hamstring tweak. The latest issue, suffered in training, will keep him out of action until the New Year.
“It's one of these things where it doesn't matter how much you say, how you talk to the boy, when any player gets a setback after being so diligent, so hard-working, doing everything to the letter, it's just unfortunate,” said McInnes. “These things are sent to try us. I think he's got to live it.
“We need to deal with it in terms of him not being available to us. We've made a huge effort as a club to bring the boy here. Like any new signing, particularly one with the fee involved, he's just desperate to play his part. He's pretty down at the minute but it's our job to keep him motivated and work through it. Sometimes it's just the way it is. The mental part of that, being injured and dealing with injuries, is a big part of football.
“I think we've done everything to the letter and the boy has worked hard, so we got him back out. He had no issues with the astroturf. I don't think it's that. It's just a slightly different area but it's a similar type of injury. We don't think it's as bad as the original.”
Fellow midfielder Beni Baningime is also recovering from a hamstring injury at the moment. Hearts hope he can return before Christmas. “It’s difficult for Beni in the sense that he's such a people person, being about his team-mates,” stated McInnes. “He obviously loves his football, so being stuck in the gym when we're out training is hard for him. It's hard for all the players, but Beni in particular. I still think we're working towards that six-week period, which would tie us in with maybe Falkirk [on 13 December], potentially Rangers [21 December].”