Steven Naismith insists Hearts’ comeback duo are ‘in a good place’ ahead of Saturday’s Premiership curtain-raiser against St Johnstone.
Striker Liam Boyce and midfielder Beni Baningime have both battled back from serious knee injuries to make their long-awaited return to the fold this summer.
Boyce has been sidelined since damaging his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against Saints on August 28 last year, whilst Baningime missed the whole of last season after suffering the same fate in March 2022.
The pair have returned to full training during the Jambos’ pre-season preparations and have featured in warm-up games.
But there was concern when Boyce was substituted after just 33 minutes of last week’s defeat to Mansfield Town, whilst Baningime failed to make the squad for Sunday’s 1-0 loss to Leeds United.
However, Naismith insists both just need to tread carefully after so long out.
Hearts’ technical director said: “The hard part is that they’ve been out for so long, [but] they’ve both come through pre-season really well.
“Boycie came off the other night just because he was feeling fatigued and you don’t want to push it.
“Beni got 90 minutes. We wanted to give him the 90 minutes to push on. He was ‘burst’ by the end of it but I think it was more valuable than replacing him.
“He is in and around the squad, available for selection. Boyce will come back into training as well.
“We’re still monitoring them. You can’t let them just come back into a pre-season and then shoot up or they’ll break down, but they’re both in a good place.”
Meanwhile, Naismith has backed Kenneth Vargas to add ‘real value to the squad’ as Hearts try to cut through red tape to sign the Costa Rican striker.
The Tynecastle outfit are currently awaiting visas and work permits to complete the captures of Vargas and Japan international forward Kyosuke Tagawa.
Deals are in place for both but the Jambos are awaiting the necessary paperwork before the pair can arrive in Scotland.
Naismith added: “[Vargas] is very direct, he’s a goal threat and he’s got pace. He is an exciting young player.
“This will be his first time playing in Europe, so there will be time needed to make sure he is settled, but I think he can bring real value to the squad.”
