Hearts latest from Riccarton: A scan and specialist visit plus updates on four players
Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin has seen a specialist and had a scan to look into signs of a delayed concussion. After calming down, the Australian returned to the Riccarton training fields on Thursday, although for a brief run rather than a full session.
Head coach Neil Critchley reported some progress for four other injured Hearts players, including midfielder Aidan Denholm and defenders Frankie Kent, Craig Halkett, and Stephen Kingsley. Devlin has been out since sustaining a concussion against St Mirren in last month’s Scottish Cup fifth round (Hearts reported that he was complaining of headaches while following concussion protocol, and medical staff decided to seek a second opinion ahead of Friday’s quarter-final against Dundee).
Critchley confirmed that Cammy Devlin will not be attending. He saw a specialist yesterday after having a scan, and the results were positive. Although he returned to the field today, this game will not be far off. Yan Dhanda is fit, and everyone else is doing well. Thus, everyone is doing well except for Frankie Kent, Halkett, Kingsley, and Denholm. They are also beginning to go forward. Frankie, Halks, Kings, and Aidan Denholm appeared for his first session this week. They are all back on the field and ready to play. Although they are getting closer, it will still be a few weeks until they arrive.
Critchley is certain that Hearts can bounce back from Sunday’s Premiership defeat to Hibs. He stated, “I believe this group has done a good job of responding to setbacks, whether they have occurred during or after games.” “We have demonstrated good character and good unity. I believe the gang has expanded. To play for this football team, we must always have the proper mindset when we take the pitch. We have consistently demonstrated that, except from specific game moments or periods.
We had two points when I took control. We were immediately playing catch-up. These were very significant games, and the group’s confidence has increased. We have demonstrated our ability to perform well under duress. We have demonstrated various strategies for winning games, overcoming deficits, and completing games during challenging situations. That’s what we did. We failed to continue playing the game in the same manner as we did in the first half last week. In the second half, we didn’t do that. We must next demonstrate our collective values after learning from that, which we have already discussed.
“Any chance to get to Hampden is a big game, and we know it’s going to be a tough game. Dundee had a lift last week with their point. It’s going to be a cup competition, so maybe a slightly different approach in terms of how they’ll feel psychologically going into the game, but it’s about us, it’s about how we play, how we play at home, and we want to make sure that we show a response from our game last week.”
“I think it’s collective, it’s all of us, isn’t it?” Critchley said, adding that players and staff are aware of the importance of making amends to the Hearts support. “When you lose a big game, everyone feels it, and we’ve won a lot of games since I came in back in October. We’ve been moving forward, we’ve shown progress, and in the second half last week we weren’t good enough. So we have to be honest in that and accept the criticism that comes your way. But the beauty of this industry is that you have an opportunity to put it right in your next game.”
Despite the fact that Hearts have lost all three of their encounters with Hibs this season, Critchley does not believe that will overshadow his team’s advancement. “No, I have to look past that, and that can be really challenging when you lose a big game because we know how important that game is,” he said. There will be setbacks along the way when attempting to create something sustainable and long-lasting.
Development is never a straight line. Up until the second half of last week, we were playing very well and were in good form, so I think we’ve obviously made progress. We need to make sure that tomorrow night we respond appropriately because we have been winning games.
Hearts will be confident going into Friday night’s matchup because they have defeated Dundee by eight goals in their last two games. Critchley won’t settle for less. “They made a point last week [against St Johnstone], which was crucial for them because I know they’ve had a rough run in the past,” he remarked. “Maybe they see this cup game as a release from the league. They’ve adjusted their tactics and their structure in the last couple of games. We anticipate a challenging game and are prepared for an energetic opponent who gives it their all.
“We’ve still got a lot to play for. Obviously, the first game is tomorrow night and we want to get to Hampden and go as far as we can in this competition. Our primary goal is to win tomorrow night. Will we advance to the semifinals? Following that, we have a few games where we hope to maintain our winning streak and finish in the top six of the [Premiership] at the end of the season.
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