Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland and midfielder Cammy Devlin are set to make their comebacks from injury in time for the visit of Dundee to Tynecastle on April 5, according to manager Derek McInnes. Shankland has been sidelined since January 17 with a hamstring problem, while Devlin has been out since January 14 with an ankle knock.
McInnes confirmed that both players are expected to return to training next week, with Shankland particularly ahead of schedule. “Lawrence has been really good so, as it stands, we think both of them will be ready for the Dundee game,” said McInnes. The manager had initially anticipated Shankland would be out until the Livingston match on April 5, but his recovery has progressed smoothly.
However, Saturday's televised away fixture against Kilmarnock is likely to come too soon for either player. Devlin is the closer of the two to full fitness, having taken a “good step forward” in recent days, and may join squad training before the weekend.
In further positive news, defender Oisin McEntee is available for selection after recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in last month's defeat at Ibrox. He trained fully on Monday without issues. Stephen Kingsley is also making progress from a calf complaint that has kept him out since December 27, and could be fit for the Dundee match.
Hearts will hope the returning players can help revive their Scottish Premiership title ambitions, with the team currently trailing leaders Celtic by a significant margin.
