Exclusive:Stuart Findlay's Hearts return and why the coaching team won't deviate

Hearts defender Stuart Findlay could be back in action before the Scottish Premiership splits next month. A calf injury has kept the 30-year-old sidelined since last month’s victory over Falkirk at Tynecastle Park, but he is progressing steadily in his recovery.

Findlay was taken off in the final few minutes of the Falkirk match and was subsequently ruled out for around six weeks with the injury. He is gradually working his way back to fitness and could be available again within the next month. Hearts have four league fixtures before the split - Kilmarnock away, Dundee at home, Livingston away and Motherwell at home. Hope is that Findlay might be ready to face Motherwell at Tynecastle on 11 April.

Riccarton coaching staff are expecting to have four key players back in the next couple of weeks as Oisin McEntee, Cammy Devlin, Lawrence Shankland and Stephen Kingsley prepare to rejoin the squad for the title run-in. Findlay is behind that quartet in his recovery but there is now a target in sight.

“We spoke about hoping to have everybody back - other than Ageu - once we go into the post-split fixtures,” the Hearts head coach Derek McInnes told the Edinburgh News. “Even ahead of those games, we might have big Stu back for Motherwell. We should have the majority back for the Dundee game as it stands.

“However, you can pick up injuries tomorrow. You just need to try and deal with it. That's why I think it's so important to just focus on who is available and pick the team you think is right. We have almost got to be perfect at the minute, keep winning games and keep doing what we are doing.”

Hearts are top of the Premiership and five points ahead of second-placed Celtic as they prepare to visit Kilmarnock on Saturday night. The match is live on Sky Sports as McInnes returns to his former club for the second time managing the Edinburgh club. His previous visit ended in a 3-0 Hearts victory back in October.

With nine games remaining, anticipation is growing around Gorgie regarding a possible league title success. The last club to win the Scottish league other than Celtic or Rangers was Aberdeen in 1985, so McInnes’ side are aspiring to achieve history. Hearts last finished first in the top flight in 1960, so two generations of supporters in the Capital have not seen their team reach that level of success.

McInnes stressed that he is not flustered as the situation intensifies and he is feeling confident for the weeks ahead. “I'm quite calm,” he said. “We have dealt with being at the top of the league for so long. It's important we just try not to deviate too much from what we've been doing and just keep doing.”

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