When Lawrence Shankland hobbled off the Tynecastle turf six minutes into injury time, no one quite knew the extent of the damage.
The length of time the striker would miss was bound to have an impact in a tricky run of fixtures they were facing.
His injury was compounded that night when his replacement Elton Kabangu missed the decisive penalty in the Scottish Cup fourth-round exit at the hands of Falkirk. It also came just a few days after Cammy Devlin picked up an injury in the previous game, the second match in a row that Hearts had overcome a first-half red card to take all three points.
Devlin and Shankland were subsequently ruled out for up to eight weeks. Along with suspensions for Alexander Schwolow and Beni Baningime, it added up to a costly week for Derek McInnes’ men.
With a game against Celtic on the horizon at that point in mid-January, the lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership was six points. Hearts fought back late for a draw in that game and Shankland and Devlin were pictured celebrating at the end after cheering the team on throughout.
Largely, the team have done well without the key duo, amid a slew of other injuries picked up in recent months.
Hearts should have done better in Paisley and, more recently, away to Kilmarnock, but they still hold a two-point lead at the top of the league as the pair are set to return. All going well both should be in contention for this weekend at home to Dundee.
With Stuart Findlay and Stephen Kingsley also set to make comebacks in the near future, McInnes has said this stage of the season will feel like a transfer window to him.
"Cammy was the best midfielder in the league when he went out of the team. Lawrence is the best striker in the league. If we can get that back, then of course it's going to help us," McInnes said after the defeat to Kilmarnock on Saturday.
The Hearts midfield has mostly compensated for Devlin's absence, although they have been running short in numbers in the position in recent weeks. Tomas Magnusson was the latest to be ruled out and was replaced on Saturday by the returning Oisin McEntee, his second spell on the sidelines in as many months. Ageu has been ruled out for the season, Calem Neiuwenhof hasn’t been available and Baningime has been in and out recently, missing last weekend with a knee complaint.
The loan signing of Marc Leonard has helped ease this but the lack of options showed against Kilmarnock. By the end of the game, with no other midfielders on the bench, Jordi Altena was moved into the centre of midfield. The week before, in the win over Aberdeen, McInnes started his only three fully fit central midfielders.
However, despite just about having enough cover, they were never going to fully replicate what the relentless Aussie brings in the centre of the park.
The radar below compares his league performance this season (red) to the league average for other players in his position. You can see that, other than one passing and one assist metric, he ranks average or well above average.
For things like closing down, winning the ball back and drawing fouls, there is barely anyone better in the division.
Even if McInnes had a full complement of midfielders to choose from, Devlin cannot return soon enough. The 27-year-old showed signs of improvement last season but has taken his game to another level this season, and probably no coincidence that it correlates with McInnes taking charge.
Devlin is an extension of McInnes on the field, one of his most trusted players, and his leadership has been missed as much as anything else.
The same can be said for Shankland. On course for at least 20 goals this season before he picked up a hamstring injury, the captain is the one who knits it all together.
McInnes has had options but hasn't quite managed to find a consistent combination without Shankland.
Claudio Braga has done a good job stepping up over the last couple of months. However, for all his qualities, he lacks the know-how of Shankland.
In a recent YouTube interview, the Portuguese spoke about how in Norway, he played on instinct. Since moving to Scotland, he has had to learn to consider his decision-making a lot more and have more discipline on the ball. That kind of stuff is second nature to Shankland.
Despite taking on more responsibility, Braga's game has suffered in recent weeks. He and Shankland built up an excellent understanding as part of a front three for much of the season with Alexandros Kyziridis. The Greek is another who has seen his form take a dip without Shankland in the side.
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As well as occupying the attention of opposition defences, Shankland brings composure and control in the final third – the calm head in the chaos of moments players like Braga and Kyziridis.
On top of that, a big part of Hearts’ success this season has been winning the ball in the opposition half before breaking, something that Shankland was crucial for, both winning the ball and directing others on where to be. He was also a composed figure amid the chaos after Hearts won possession in those areas.
Being without Shankland has meant a chance for a run in the team for Landry Kabore. The Burkina Faso international's time at the club has been disrupted by just about everything: from visa issues to the form of others and taking part in an international tournament.
Kabore has done well in some games but has been frustrating in others, not least in recent games when he has struggled to keep his footing.
While he won't have missed Shankland in the same way as the other two due to them rarely playing together, Kabore would probably have benefited from being bled into the team alongside Shankland – like Braga and Kyziridis were afforded at the start of the season – rather than having the burden of replacing him. The same can be said, though to a lesser extent, about Islam Chesnokov.
Bringing in another option in January would have been ideal, especially after James Wilson left on loan for Tottenham Hotspur. But all told, Hearts have kept their noses in front as they are set to welcome back a key duo that can help them to bounce back from defeat, as they have after the other four this season.
