With several first-team regulars set to return in the coming weeks, the Heart of Midlothian head coach is “excited” and “encouraged” by his team’s title chances.
The capital club still leads the way in the Scottish Premiership despite the fluctuating number of absentees in recent months.
Two stalwarts returned for their latest win for Derek McInnes’ side, a 1-0 victory over Dundee on Saturday, lifting the mood around Tynecastle Park.
Cammy Devlin recovered in time to start at the weekend and was back to his usual self until he was subbed off with around 15 minutes to go. He was joined by Lawrence Shankland, who made his comeback from the bench.
It ended a two-month spell without the key duo and McInnes will now use the international break to get him and Devlin closer to full fitness before their next game at Livingston a week on Sunday.
Hopefully, by then, Craig Halkett, Harry Milne and Tomas Magnusson will be in contention and there is a chance that Stephen Kingsley and Stuart Findlay will also be available. And Beni Baningime should be closer to full fitness after recently recovering from an injury.
“[Shankland] is in to do a few days' work this week. We obviously need to be mindful that he's just back and we can't overplay at this moment in time," said McInnes.
“But the hope would be that by the time we play Livingston in 15 days, he's had enough training minutes, enough gym days, enough rest days. Because he's working his backside off, him and Cammy, to be honest, to get to the position where they could run about on Saturday.
“So they'll get some days off at the back end of the week, but at the same time, it was so important that we get them back on the pitch on Saturday for loads of reasons. The ovation they got, the way the fans feel about Lawrence is the way we all feel about him.
“He is just going to be so important for us in the run-in and I think two weeks from now, 15 days from now when we play Livingston, hopefully I get the thumbs up from the medical team that he can start games and he can start looking at 60–75 minutes rather than 35 minutes.
“I'm excited, I'm encouraged that we've got good players to come back. I'm encouraged that we've come through a period that we're still going to be top of the league. If somebody had said to me that we'd still be top of the league despite all the challenges we've had, we'd have to grab that.”
Hearts are three points clear at the top of the league with all to play for. Celtic were the latest to slip up, with a 2-0 defeat at Dundee United, but McInnes is still wary of the challenge posed by who he describes as the best manager in the division, Martin O'Neill.
And given the fact that Rangers can go top a week on Saturday when they play the day before Hearts, such is their goal difference, McInnes is fully aware of the size of the task ahead.
“We're aware that we're up against two heavyweights, we're up against the best manager of the league, Martin O'Neill, his experience and his know-how and everything that they've got under their belt," he said.
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“Rangers have spent a huge amount of money to put that squad together and they're clearly talented players so we're up against that but I'm confident we've got the best record against any of the top six teams. Our record stands out alone.
“So I've got loads of encouragement from that. We're not looking too far ahead of ourselves. We've got Livingston that needs our full attention in 15 days' time, but I certainly think that Hearts fans will fill Livingston’s stadium.
“And the belief, if it had been dented by probably quite a bit after [the defeat the week before at Kilmarnock], and I understand it, hopefully there's a bit more belief coming back."
Some players will be on international duty this week and into next, but for those staying in Edinburgh it will be a case of getting everyone into the best shape possible for the title run-in.
McInnes hopes that by the start of next week at least some of those injured players will be ready to do a full week’s training.
“We'll have a 11 v 11 amongst ourselves and make it a kind of match like as best we can, rather than just putting 11 out and then the others train,” he said.
“We just thought there's a lot of boys needing some 11-v-11 work, so we'll have a practice game amongst ourselves.
“The injured boys have got a big week ahead of them. I'd like to get as many of those injured players out of that treatment room and onto the training pitch by the time we have a full week's work next week on Monday and hopefully that's the case.”
