Heart of Midlothian were dealt another setback before their Europa Conference League trip to Turkey, with left-back Harry Milne suffering what looks to be a serious injury in training last night.
The news, reported by Brian McLauchlin, came just as Hearts were preparing for their second Conference League fixture, away to Trabzonspor with a 17:45 BST kick-off. It is another frustrating twist for a side whose European campaign has already been difficult to manage.
A difficult week for Hearts
Hearts arrived in Turkey on the back of a heavy 7-1 defeat by Celtic on Sunday, a result that left plenty of questions hanging over the team ahead of this match. Before the trip, they had taken just one point from their opening European game, a 1-1 home draw with Nordsjaelland.
Trabzonspor, meanwhile, had already made a stronger start by beating KuPS 4-2 in Finland. That left the Turkish side in a more comfortable position going into the match, while Hearts were still looking for a response after a miserable opening to their Conference League campaign.
What it means for Hearts
Milne's injury is especially significant because it comes so close to kickoff and could weaken Hearts at left-back for an important away fixture. With so little margin for error in the group stage, any disruption to the defensive line only adds to the challenge.
Head coach Wouter Vrancken had already insisted Hearts would stick to their pressing game after the Celtic defeat, while also stressing the need for better defensive organisation when possession is lost and more composure on the ball. That message now has added weight with another injury concern to deal with in Turkey.
For Hearts, the task was already tough. Losing Milne before facing Trabzonspor in Turkey only makes it harder.
