Exclusive:Three Hearts players fighting to be fit for the SPFL Premiership opener against Aberdeen
Season 2025/26 begins at Tynecastle in front of the Sky Sports cameras
Three Hearts players must prove their fitness over the coming days to be ready for Monday’s opening Premiership game against Aberdeen. Management hope to have midfielders Calem Nieuwenhof and Beni Baningime available along with defender Christian Borchgrevink, with all three fighting to be ready in time.
Head coach Derek McInnes is already without centre-back Jamie McCart through injury and midfielder Yan Dhanda because of suspension. Monday marks McInnes’ league debut in charge of Hearts and a full crowd is expected at Tynecastle Park for a match Sky Sports will broadcast live.
The next few days will determine which of the three injured players can make the squad. Nieuwenhof was substituted after 22 minutes of Saturday’s friendly against Sunderland due to tightness in his hamstring. The 24-year-old’s issue is not thought to be serious, though, as McInnes explained to the Edinburgh News. “I spoke to Calem and the physios and they don’t seem too concerned about it. We are hoping he will train later in the week, Friday into Saturday,” said the manager.
“I don’t think he feels it’s too bad so it’s a wee bit precautionary. We haven’t sent him for a scan or anything. If we were worried about it, we probably would have. It will just be seeing how Calem comes through when he’s back training. If he has a clean bill of health then he will be available for Monday. I expect him to be available, based on what I’m being told. The good thing is he has that extra bit of time with the game still five days away. I think he’ll be alright.”
Baningime missed the last two of Hearts’ four Premier Sports Cup group matches, plus the Sunderland friendly, because of a slight medial ligament strain caused by slipping in training. “Beni still has a wee bit more work to do,” admitted McInnes. “He’s back running on Thursday and, if he comes through that, then hopefully he might be able to train by the weekend. That one is still a bit more of a doubt, but we certainly haven’t ruled him out for Monday. I wouldn’t want to rule Beni out.”
Scottish Premiership kick-off on the horizon
Right-back Borchgrevink was withdrawn at half-time in Hearts’ third Premier Sports Cup tie at Stirling Albion and hasn’t featured since. He also has a hamstring issue but McInnes is confident he will be ready for the Aberdeen fixture. The Norwegian is due to train with the first team at Riccarton today before Hearts play a closed-door bounce game, which will involve a number of first-team squad members.
“Borchgrevink will train today. We will just avoid playing him in the game because he only did part of the session yesterday,” explained McInnes. “We took the liberty just to train him so we can control that a wee bit more, rather than playing him in the game. I don’t think he is too much of a concern for Monday. I think he will be fine.
“I thought young Adam Forrester did well on Saturday so we’re delighted with him. He will play in the game today to top his minutes up. The closed-door game just gives everybody a chance to be ready for the game on Monday, if called upon.”
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