news-engine

Exclusive:When Hearts expect Malachi Fagan-Walcott back, changes for Benfica and coaching to help Jamie McCart Wouter Vrancken speaks to the Edinburgh News Wouter Vrancken is ready to change Hearts’ starting line-up for Thursday’s Europa League qualifying return leg against Benfica. Centre-back Stuart Findlay is available after suspension and could return, midfielder Sabri Guendouz is in contention to play and left-back Harry Milne has an outside chance of featuring. Head coach Vrancken is eager for his team to put in a strong performance at Tynecastle Park despite the 6-1 deficit from last week’s first leg in Lisbon. Defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott remains sidelined with an ankle problem and full-back Stephen Kingsley has a hamstring issue. Both were injured in Hearts’ Champions League tie against Sturm Graz last month and are likely to be missing for another few weeks. Fagan-Walcott is not expected back until later next month. Right-back Christian Borchgrevink is available after returning from a minor injury in Sunday’s 4-0 Premiership win against Dundee United. Vrancken has spent time coaching Jamie McCart in recent weeks to help the centre-back improve. He struggled against Sturm and Aberdeen in Hearts’ opening league games but the manager is already seeing improvement. He paired McCart with versatile midfielder Oisin McEntee in central defence against United and the pair helped their team record a clean sheet. However, the defence is likely to change for Benfica’s visit to Tynecastle Park. “Yeah, we'll see. I think Stu is coming back. He did well against Benfica and also last season,” Vrancken told the Edinburgh News. “Jamie did very well and was very good on Sunday. He was maybe not top in some games, but we talked about it with him and then you see that these guys are coachable. They try to do the things you coach them. The things you say to them, they try to directly implement it in the game. I'm happy to see this. We have to have confidence in this. “I'm also glad that they get confidence through Sunday’s result, for sure. It will give a good feeling for them also when they feel that it works, what they're doing and what we're asking from them. We need more than two centre-backs and then, with Mal being injured for, I don't know, maybe a few weeks, and then we still have Stu. And so I'm happy to see that they are doing well and that we can count on more than two centre-backs.” McCart was one of Hearts’ better players against Benfica in Lisbon and put in another strong display against United. Vrancken elaborated on his discussions and coaching work with the 29-year-old. “It was just really keeping to the facts. Facts means no emotion,” said the Belgian. “So we tell him: ‘In this situation, you did this better.’ I think Jamie has a lot of football qualities. He can play a ball, he's pretty good on the ball for a centre-back. So you have to show this, you have to use it. “Also, there are some situations in defence where we pull back too easily and then you're too late in these moments, in these duels. Just a few things, but just with the [video] images and speaking about it, and then he can say his feelings with it. I’m happy to see that he was very good on Sunday. I'm happy for him that he had a good performance and a good result.”