Peter Haring hopes to prove fitness for Motherwell clash in bid to ease Hearts’ injury woes

BY ALAN TEMPLE – @CCP_Sport

HEARTS star Peter Haring hopes to prove his fitness for this weekend’s trip to Motherwell as he bids to ease the Jambos’ injury woes.

The capital club were rocked this week with the news that Demi Mitchell and Michael Smith are both likely to miss more than two months of action due to knee and thigh complaints, respectively.

But there was better news in the form of Haring – one of Hearts’ most impressive performers as they raced to the summit of the Premiership in the opening months of the campaign – stepping up his recovery.

The versatile Austrian has been absent since Hearts’ Edinburgh derby triumph over Hibs on December 29 after undergoing surgery to cure a persistent double hernia. However, he has now emerged unscathed from three days’ full training at the club’s Oriam base.

Hearts medical staff are reluctant to rush Haring back into action, given he played through the pain barrier earlier this season, but the player is determined to earn a place in the match-day squad when they travel to Fir Park to face the in-form Steelmen.

Boss Craig Levein is likely to make a decision on Haring’s availability on Friday, although the club are comfortable that, even if Sunday comes too soon, he will be ready to line up against St Mirren six days later.

Former Dundee striker Craig Wighton is also nearing a comeback after coming through Monday’s 5-0 Reserve win over Morton without any complications.

Wighton, 21, has endured a miserable time with injuries after joining the Jambos from Dundee in August and last played a senior match on December 5. He is yet to score in his nine outings for the Tynecastle outfit.

However, Levein remains hopeful that the Scotland under-21 international could play a major part in the run-in.