Neil Critchley says Hearts’ new signings will need time to get up to speed

Neil Critchley has cautioned that Hearts’ two latest signings will require time to get up to speed after extended lay-offs over the winter.

Austrian defender Michael Steinwender, 24, arrived on a three-and-a-half-year contract earlier this week having not played for two months since his last game for Swedish club Varnamo against Landskrona on November 24.

Sander Kartum, 29, finalised his move from SK Brann on Friday on a two-and-a-half-year deal but, likewise, the Norwegian attacking midfielder has not played since coming on as a sub for his former club against Viking on December 1.

Critchley is delighted with his newest additions but is mindful of the need to ease them in gently.

“They’re players we’ve been tracking for a while, so I’m excited to bring them both here,” he said. “We think they can impact the group immediately but also be good for us long term.

“We have to just get the balance right of getting them up to speed as quickly as possible but also doing that in a safe manner because both of their seasons finished end of November, early December so they’ve not actually had football for a period of time.

“Michael’s a defender that we think will be well suited to the style of the team we want to build. He’s a good age and we think he’s got more potential and development to come.

“Sander will give us some balance at the top end of the pitch, real attacking creativity. He can score a goal, create a goal, connect the game together for us, he’s technically very good.

“We’re excited to have them both here, we’ve worked hard to bring them here and I’m sure they’ll both be great additions for this football club.”

Hearts have also recruited defender Jamie McCart and striker Elton Kabangu this month, while Andres Salazar, Kye Rowles and Liam Boyce have departed, along with teenage midfielder Macaulay Tait who joined Livingston on loan on Friday. Critchley did not rule out a “busy” last week of the window.

“Anything can happen in January, we’re still looking, we’re still searching,” he said. “Obviously our squad now is slightly top heavy in numbers, so there might be one or two exits, but that might mean that one or two might arrive as well and it could be a busy last week of January.

“But we’re really happy with the work that we’ve done so far and the players we’ve brought in.”

Hearts could welcome back Lawrence Shankland against Kilmarnock on Saturday after the captain, who had a difficult first half to the season in which he scored just three goals, missed the last five games with a calf injury.

“Possibly, yeah,” said Critchley when asked if the striker was in contention. “He’s done more training this week so that’ll be a decision we have to make on Lawrence and whether we think he’s had enough to be in contention for the squad.

“That little break might actually do him the world of good because he played virtually every minute of every game, so we’re hopeful that maybe just refreshed him mentally and physically a little bit. But we also have to make sure he’s done enough to be included.”

Gerald Taylor made his return from a long-term injury against Brechin last Friday, while Calem Nieuwenhof, who has been sidelined since last March with a hamstring problem, could be in the squad against Killie as Hearts bid to extend their five-game unbeaten run.

“We’re getting there injury-wise,” said Critchley. “We’ve got a pretty healthy squad at the moment.”