Claudio Braga has said he holds nothing but affection for Derek McInnes, Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin, yet he would still happily defeat them when Hearts face Rangers tomorrow evening. The Portuguese midfielder is preparing to face his former manager for the first time since McInnes left Tynecastle in the summer.
Braga's affection for former boss
McInnes, along with Shankland and Devlin, moved along the M8 to Govan following Hearts' final day title disappointment. Both Shankland and Devlin are currently sidelined with hamstring injuries, meaning only McInnes will be in the opposing dugout.
Braga, who shared a season with the trio, insists he bears no ill will towards them despite the manner of their departures. "Oh no, for sure, never. That could be my mother playing…I wouldn't care!" he said. "I want to win every game."
"Personally, I really like Derek. I have nothing bad to say about him, Shanks or Cammy. I shared one amazing year with them and really love them as people. So it will be good to face them in a way but I have nothing but love for them. We shared the locker room with them and we know them personally. And I couldn't hate them just because they left the club."
Expecting a strong atmosphere
The 26-year-old acknowledged that the Tynecastle crowd may view the returning figures differently, given the praise McInnes received from supporters a year ago. Braga understands the reaction but says the focus must remain on the match itself.
"That's what a football player professionally needs to do. That's their choice. I just could never judge that. But I believe it will be a strong atmosphere for them. I understand a little bit why. And that was their choice. So now, of course, they have the consequences. And they knew that, I think, when they left. Our focus and my focus and the team's focus needs to be on the game and not on the backstage."
Reflecting on the bond formed during the previous campaign, Braga added: "I feel like we had such a wonderful year, even though, it ended the way it ended. But we had such a big year. When it's a bad year, maybe the relationships won't be that strong. But a season like that, you just literally became a family."
Hearts' injury crisis and busy schedule
Hearts enter the match following their first win outside Edinburgh in 10 months, earned at Fir Park on Sunday. The team is managing a demanding fixture list that includes Conference League commitments alongside domestic duties, with a lengthy injury list adding to the strain.
Manager Wouter Vrancken has been without eight players, with Stuart Findlay the only one given an outside chance of featuring tomorrow night. Despite the absences, Braga said he is not complaining about the hectic schedule.
"The travels in the Conference League is amazing for us but in a way, it makes us tired," he said. "But we just need (to work for) one hour and a half. Last year, a player from our team was tired and he told me, 'when you die, you have time to rest!' So, we need to think a little bit like that."
Braga believes the spate of injuries has fostered a fighting spirit among those still available, and he has urged his teammates to carry that into the Rangers clash. "Every time you look, you lose somebody," he said. "But in a way, if we go on a pitch like we did on Sunday and fight for each other, it doesn't matter. You have players playing out of positions. That's a spirit that can elevate us a little bit more compared to the negatives of having guys injured."
