Bruised Hearts return to Tynecastle on Sunday to face Dundee United in the William Hill Premiership (kick-off 15.00) following their confidence-sapping 6-1 defeat by Benfica in Lisbon in the Europa League, third qualifying round, first leg.
Wouter Vrancken’s men are undoubtedly in need of a lift as they face the Portugal-based club at Tynecastle in the return leg on Thursday (19.45).
They also require a boost after a poor start to the season which has seen them slide out of the Champions League on a 6-0 aggregate to Austrian side, Sturm Graz, go down 2-1 at Aberdeen in the league after leading 1-0 until the later stages, and then the hammering in Portugal last Thursday.
Stuart Findlay misses the game through suspension, the defender having been red carded in the final minutes of the defeat at Pittodrie. Hearts failed in their appeal.
Also unavailable are crocked defender, Craig Halkett (Achilles), Stephen Kingsley (hamstring), Malachi Fagan-Walcott (ankle) and Christian Borgrevink (muscle).
To make matters worse, Harry milne and Laurent Mendy are doubts after being substituted at Benfica and Ageu, their Brazilian acquisition, is still sidelined with injury.
The match, the club’s first home match in the Premiership, is sold out and Vrancken admitted that Thursday was a difficult game against a team “on another level” and one which has only lost once at home last season, and that was to Spanish giants, Real Madrid.
Benfica, he added, also did not lose a game in their league last year, but Vrancken said Hearts had some “moments” in the first half in the Stadium of Light. The club improved in the second 45 minutes.
He will obviously look for his men to continue that form into the game at Tynecastle and cited lack of experience as a possible a reason for the heavy defeat.
The Belgian-born coach (pictured in the tunnel at Tynecastle by Nigel Duncan) argued that there were positive moments, including the well-worked goal by French-born, Tom Renaud.
Looking ahead to the United game, Vrancken said every team is different, but he wants the players to “show some guts” and said: “For sure, it will be a difficult game on Sunday.”
However, he looks to bounce back against the Tayside team but stressed: “You have to control the 90 minutes a lot more.”
United are minus Dario Naamo through injury but Aussie-born Lachlan Rose, who netted in the 1-1 home draw with Rangers, and Bert Esselink are expected to be in consideration for a slot in Jim Goodwin’s side.
They have added Romanian international, Kevin Ciubotaru from that country’s Superliga side, FC Hermannstadt, to their squad.
The Jambos have won six and lost only two of the last ten games before the sides, Hearts scoring 22 goals and United 13, but words of warning, five of the past six Premiership matches between the teams have been won by the away side.
And United are unbeaten in three away games against Hearts in Scotland’s top division.
