Hearts' top scorer Osman Sow may be absent until the New Year but their captain Danny Wilson should make his long-awaited comeback against Queen of the South on Saturday.
Hearts' top scorer Osman Sow may be absent until the New Year but their captain Danny Wilson should make his long-awaited comeback against Queen of the South on Saturday.
Sow is struggling with a persistent thigh strain and has not played since the Edinburgh derby draw against Hibernian in October. The towering Swede, who has scored eight goals in 13 outings since he joined from Crystal Palace in the summer, suffered a further set-back and has been given an injection to aid his recovery.
Robbie Neilson, Hearts' head coach, concedes that the player is facing several weeks on the sidelines and is far from certain to be in contention for the next Edinburgh derby clash on January 3. He confirmed: "Osman is still struggling a bit after his injection. He might be another few weeks.
"It will be around about Christmas time when he gets back I would think. We'll try to get him back as quick as we can but we don't want to rush him again.
"I thought he was going to be back and then he had a wee problem again, so we need to really take the foot off the gas and make sure he's right. He will be a big player for us and there is a long way to go in the season."
Wilson, meanwhile, has been plagued with a hamstring complaint for just shy of two months, having pulled up during the side's 1-0 win against Alloa Athletic on October 11. An ill-fated attempt to return ahead of schedule a fortnight later ended with him limping out of the Edinburgh derby after just 58 minutes, further setting back his recovery. Wilson has been gradually nursed back to full fitness in recent weeks, with Neilson having resisted the temptation to play him in the recent encounters against Rangers and Celtic.
The 22-year-old played 45 minutes for Hearts' under-20s on Monday evening as they went down 3-1 to their Hamilton Academical. Wilson will be monitored as the week progresses and, if he shows no ill-effects from the outing, he will be in contention to face Queens on Saturday afternoon.
His return would be a welcome fillip for Neilson, who will also have to do without the suspended Morgaro Gomis for the next two league matches following his sending off against Celtic on Sunday.
Alan Temple -- Capital City Press -- 0131 661 7956 -- 07791 764023
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