Derek McInnes has been speaking to the media ahead of Wednesday night's crucial Premiership clash, as league leaders Hearts prepare to host Falkirk in the penultimate game of the season. With the title race heating up, the manager addressed a mix of injury setbacks, motivation, and recent refereeing controversies.
The biggest talking point surrounds the "terrible" injuries to defender Craig Halkett and midfielder Marc Leonard. Both players have undergone surgery after rupturing their Achilles tendons during the weekend's 1-1 draw at Motherwell, and they face up to nine months on the sidelines. "It's unusual. I've never known anything like it to get two Achilles injuries in one game," McInnes said. "It's an extra wee bit of motivation for us – if we needed any more – that two players who have played a big part have really suffered."
On a brighter note, Harry Milne and Cammy Devlin are both fit and available to start on Wednesday, providing a much-needed boost to the squad's depth.
Despite already securing a Champions League spot, McInnes made it clear his side isn't satisfied. "It's brilliant shooting that we've got that secured, but we're determined to go one better now and win the league. We have an unshakeable belief in what we're doing."
McInnes also addressed the lingering frustration from the Motherwell match, where Hearts were denied a penalty. "We were the better team and I thought we were denied a really good chance to get that second goal. So of course there's a bit of grievance, but you can't use that as a reason to get into the next game and still be hankering over that. I think we've moved on from that."
He revealed he spoke to Scottish FA referees' chief Willie Collum to get the matter "off my chest." According to McInnes, Collum agreed that VAR had done its job by calling referee Steven McLean to the monitor. "Everything becomes magnified now. Everything has such a weight behind it. VAR worked perfectly... but unfortunately the referee didn't."
As the season reaches its climax, McInnes praised his players for fulfilling Tony Bloom's prediction of at least splitting the Old Firm. "I'm satisfied with what the players have given us. They're the main drivers of all of this." With the title in sight and a passionate home crowd behind them, Hearts are ready to leave everything on the pitch.