Hampden sweat for hit man Boyce after injury scare
HEARTS manager Robbie Neilson admits Liam Boyce’s chances of making the Scottish Cup final will be in the balance over the next couple of days — even though the striker believes he should be fit to face Rangers.
Boyce was taken off after 12 minutes of yesterday’s 3-1 home league loss to the Ibrox side after stretching his groin, with Ellis Simms and Peter Haring also being substituted with knocks later on.
Neilson admits the Northern Irish striker will have to be monitored closely when the players report back for training tomorrow morning to begin the build-up to Saturday’s Hampden crunch.
However, he was making optimistic noises before leaving Tynecastle last night.
‘It was just a tight groin,’ said Neilson. ‘He (Boyce) thinks it is a tightness and, hopefully, that is all it is. As soon as there was any issue, we just got him off. There is no point taking any risks.
‘Ellis (Simms) and Peter (Haring) got wee knocks and it was just about getting them out of there. Hopefully, those two will be fine. Liam will be dependent on the next day or two.’
Key defenders John Souttar, Rangers-bound in the summer, and Craig Halkett both made their return from long-term injury as late substitutes and Neilson reports that they will be given every opportunity to show they deserve a starting slot at
Hampden. ‘It was great to get them back on, but you can see that rustiness there,’ stated Neilson (below). ‘It was brilliant to have them there. It is about fitness now. Can we get them there for the final?
‘They are realistic options, though, one hundred per cent. We have a bounce game on Tuesday, they will get game time in that and then we will make a decision.’
Neilson was unhappy with his side’s display in going down to goals from Cedric Itten, Alex Lowry and debutant Cole McKinnon after Haring had given Hearts the lead. However, he does not believe that losing to what was essentially a team of kids in the latter stages will have any bearing on what happens in the cup final.
‘I don’t think it matters too much,’ he said. ‘Rangers made 10 changes and we made six, so it is now about coming back in on Monday and getting ourselves on it.
‘It had an end-of-season feel about it. There was no real intensity in the game and that was a disappointment. ‘I expected it a bit with the rustiness of some of them, but, when you play for Hearts and you are against the Old Firm at Tynecastle, you need to be up for it. ‘There were periods in the game when we weren’t aggressive enough and didn’t get the press on, allowing them to play through us.’