No timescale for Michael Smith's return as Hearts explain defender's absence

Michael Smith remains absent from the Hearts squad with a back injury and won’t play in Saturday’s match at St Mirren.

Medical staff at Riccarton are waiting for the issue to settle down before planning the defender’s return to action. However, putting a timescale on his recovery is impossible at the moment.

Smith has missed five of Hearts’ last six matches and took an injection to relieve back spasms earlier this month. Manager Robbie Neilson admitted he can’t say when the 33-year-old will return.

“Michael is still out. He had a wee issue with his back which we thought was sorted but it flared up again. We are just letting it settle down,” Neilson told the Evening News.

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - NOVEMBER 25: Michael Smith during a Hearts press conference at the Oriam, on November 25, 2021, in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Scates / SNS Group)

“I couldn’t put a timeframe on it because it’s one of those things that just needs to settle. He had an injection and we felt that would settle it but something else flared up off the back of that. It’s just one of those things.”

The Australian Nathaniel Atkinson, signed last month from Melbourne City, is expected to continue at right wing-back after scoring his first Hearts goal at St Johnstone last weekend.

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon and centre-back Craig Halkett are back and the club hope striker Liam Boyce will also return.

“Nat has played a bit more than we expected,” said Neilson. “We knew he was coming from the other side of the world, hadn’t played for a bit, was coming into different football, a different environment and different weather.

“To his credit he has done well and I think there is a lot of development to come from him. The plan was that Michael would be the first-choice and gradually Nat would come in towards the summer. He’s had to play more than planned.”

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