Injured Hearts stars aim to regain fitness during break

HEARTS intend to use the two-week international break to hone the fitness of returning forwards Calum Elliot and David Templeton, as well as accelerating the recoveries of injured midfielders Larry Kingston and Suso.

The plan by manager Csaba Laszlo is for Elliot and Templeton, who have overcome heel and foot injuries respectively, to resume first-team training and be in contention to play by the time St Johnstone visit Tynecastle on Saturday 21 November.

Suso is unlikely to be fully fit by then following hernia surgery but the Hearts medical staff will continue to work on his rehabilitation and on Kingston's persistent hamstring complaint.

Following today's Edinburgh derby at Tynecastle, Laszlo is keen to utilise the two-week break to accord himself more options for when the domestic calendar resumes.

"I hope Elliot and Templeton will be fit soon and this can give us more choices up front.

"I think that the international break can help them as well as the other injured players," he said today.

"When you have a striker like Elliot out it is not easy and it is no secret that we need to score more goals.

"The experienced players also need to be fit and I hope Suso, Kingston and Marius Zaliukas will be back as quickly as possible." As revealed in last Wednesday's Evening News, Zaliukas, left, is currently back in Lithuania having treatment for excess fluid on his ankle. He is due to return to Edinburgh next week.