Vrancken urges Hearts to block out noise ahead of Derek McInnes return

Wouter Vrancken has told his Hearts players to block out the noise around Derek McInnes’ much-hyped return to Tynecastle and focus solely on trying to get the boost of defeating Rangers.

Gers boss McInnes is guaranteed a hostile reception from the Jambos support on Wednesday after walking out on the Edinburgh club in June, just weeks after they were agonisingly pipped to the William Hill Premiership title by Celtic.

Vrancken benefited from that situation as he was subsequently appointed Hearts head coach and he has urged his players not to get caught up in the emotion of the occasion.

The Belgian also confirmed that left-back Harry Milne’s season is over after he suffered anterior cruciate ligament damage before last week’s Europa League defeat in Trabzonspor.

“Focus on what you have to do on the pitch because we want to win the game,” he said.

“We want to take a result, even with the injuries. We want to put confidence in the players who are on the pitch and who are in the squad tomorrow and keep the belief there. The negative emotions or emotions in general which are not focused on what we have to do, they’re not bringing extra to the game.

“So there’s always the noise that you have to cancel or have to avoid and just focus on what you have to do.”

Hearts finished above Rangers last season, but they are currently four points behind them as they deal with an injury crisis that leaves them without eight potential starters on Wednesday.

“Each game is important,” said Vrancken. “It’s early in the season, but when you can have three points tomorrow, then it’s also a boost mentally, especially within the circumstances we’re in now, knowing that it can only get better then and we have more and more possibilities (with players returning).

“It would be a big boost, but it’s not decisive at this stage.”

Vrancken is unfazed about any inside knowledge McInnes may have on his team, pointing out Hearts now play in a different way and are generally using different players to those who featured regularly last term.

“It’s a totally different style,” said the Belgian. “I think there are a lot of players that are playing now who were last year’s subs. Even the guys who were very important at the beginning of this season and are out now or didn’t play too much last year, so they stepped up this season, which I’m happy to see.

“We ask different things, probably, him and me. So it’s about analysing the game, about them and about us.”

Reflecting on confirmation that Milne’s season is over, Vrancken said: “It was hard, I think, for him.

“I spoke with him, but he had peace with it, he said because, in the back of your head, you know. We hoped a bit (that it might not be ACL damage) but, yeah, unfortunate.”