Hearts not broken despite injury crisis warns Falkirk boss John McGlynn

Falkirk manager John McGlynn has told his players to ignore talk of a Hearts injury crisis as they prepare for Sunday’s visit to Tynecastle.

Hearts head coach Wouter Vrancken’s selection problems mounted further on Thursday when Stephen Kingsley picked up a hamstring injury in his team’s Europa League defeat by Thun in Switzerland.

Days earlier Hearts had lost Thomas Magnusson to concussion and former Falkirk midfielder Calvin Miller to a knee injury that will keep him out for two months.

Vrancken is now missing a full team of players with Harry Milne, Christian Borchgrevink, Oisin McEntee, Ageu, Craig Halkett, Blair Spittal, Tom Renaud and Oisin McEntee all out.

But McGlynn is wary of the strength in depth of his former club.

“They’ve not been beaten at home (in the league) in 18-19 months,” said McGlynn, who recently lost full-backs Leon McCann and Ryan Strain to thigh injuries.

“They’ve got a proud record there and it’s not going to be easy. Yeah, they’ve got injuries, absolutely, it’s a fact. But they can still put 11 good players on the park. They might be a little bit lighter on the bench, but they can still put a good 11 players on the pitch.

“We’re not going to get too caught up in the injuries that they have. I sympathise with the manager, he’s restricted in the players he’s got to choose from. I sympathise with the players who are getting injured.

“But we’ve got to focus on our job and not get too caught up in that.

“You end up coming a cropper if you’re thinking that they’ve got all these players injured, and it’s just a matter of turning up.

“We know that’s not going to be the case and that’s the message that I’m giving to our players.”

Vrancken told Hearts TV: “The situation we’re in, we have to just stick together and fight again on Sunday.

“It’s an important run of games like we already know, and make sure that we are as fit as possible to go for the game.

“It is good that it’s a Tynecastle, so we have a full stadium behind us and that has to give the energy to make it this last game before the break a good one.”