The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Heartbreaker for Scots Naismith facing two months out as knee surgery is required
Hearts and Scotland have suffered a major blow after Steven Naismith was told he needs knee surgery.
The 32-year-old is likely to be out for about six to eight weeks after a scan showed a cartilage tear after he broke down early in Hearts’ Betfred Cup defeat by Celtic.
Naismith will miss games against Hibernian and Celtic this week alone for the Premiership leaders and has been ruled out of Scotland’s Nations League deciders against Albania and Israel.
The on-loan Norwich player has scored 11 goals for Hearts this season and two for his country and his absence adds to issues for both club boss Craig Levein and international manager Alex McLeish.
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has not played since pulling out of the last Scotland squad for fitness reasons while Levein recently Rangers manager Steven Gerrard insists his belief in his players has not changed despite his frustration over their Hampden defeat.
Gerrard warned after Sunday’s 1-0 Betfred Cup semi-final loss to Aberdeen that his players must improve their quality in the final lost striker Uche Ikpeazu for five months.
Naismith was wearing the captain’s armband amid the long-term absences of Christophe Berra and John Souttar while another centre back, Clevid Dikamona, and midfielder Peter Haring are injury doubts for tonight’s Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle.
Levein said: “We’ve had a number of blows in the last three or four weeks so we will just have to cope with this one as well as we have done with the other ones. third or he would find replacements.
The squad has its first chance to show a reaction when the Light Blues host Kilmarnock tonight and Gerrard has strikers Alfredo Morelos and Kyle Lafferty available again.
The Ibrox boss has told his players to go out and make it up to the supporters.
“The players look It does leave us a bit thin on the ground up top with Uche being out as well, but we’ll get by.
“It’s important players but we have played quite a few matches without Christophe, Uche and John al- ready and raring to go,” the former Liverpool captain said.
“We have analysed it and spoken to individual players and spoke to the team collectively but there’s nothing we can do to change the result. It was a disappointment but good teams and good players react in the right way and try to get back to winning ways. ready and I feel good about the depth of the squad.”
Hearts are set to be missing another striker, Steven MacLean, for two games after the derby after the 36-year-old was handed a Scottish Football Association charge for appearing to grab Celtic midfielder Eboue Kouassi’s groin area.
Meanwhile, Hibernian head coach Neil Lennon admits he is concerned his team will be “undercooked” tonight.
Hibs have only had two games in 32 days. Hearts
“And we’ve got a good group of lads in there, we’ve got a good team spirit.
“The lads are not happy with the result at the weekend and they want to go and make the supporters happy again, and the only way to do that is to go and win this game.”
“I’m really looking forward to seeing the reaction of my players.” have had four matches in that period.
“My main concern is that we are undercooked,” Lennon said. “I know it sounds a bit rich coming from a manager about a lack of football, but this is only our second game since October 5. So the only thing that worries me is rigor mortis setting into the squad.
“It’s ridiculous. We had one game against Hamilton, a two-week break, which is not ideal because you are playing well, and then you go to Celtic Park.”
Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke, whose side is sitting second in the table, has warned his players to beware of a Rangers backlash at Ibrox.
He said: “I expect a reaction from any team that loses a game before we play them. You always expect them to bounce back and Rangers will be no different to any other team.”