Barasa back in training as Hearts injury woes ease

LITHUANIAN defender Nerijus Barasa will further ease Hearts' injury concerns next week when he joins Jose Goncalves and Ibrahim Tall in returning to light training.

The 28-year-old is ready to step up his rehabilitation after suffering three successive hamstring injuries since arriving in Edinburgh in January, the latest coming in the final match of Hearts' pre-season friendly with FC Cluj in Austria. Since then Barasa has been visiting specialists across Europe in an attempt to identify and ultimately cure his ailment.

Head coach Valdas Ivanauskas welcomed Goncalves back to Riccarton yesterday as the Portuguese began some light jogging ahead of schedule.

Now Barasa and Tall will join him at the start of next week and should provide Ivanauskas with welcome squad reinforcements in the near future.

"Nerijus will come back next week and I hope he is ready soon," said the head coach.

"He has been abroad seeing a specialist and having regulation checks of his full body because he had the same injury three times. They occurred in slightly different areas every time which made it even more difficult.

"When that happens it is not good so we told him to go to a proper specialist for a body scan. He needs time and fitness but it will be good for him to be back."

Barasa's compatriot, Edgaras Jankauskas, remains touch and go for Thursday's UEFA Cup first round, first leg against Sparta Prague with a thigh problem.

"Edgaras has a small chance of playing," said Ivanauskas, who has been delighted to see the Scottish contingent in his squad showing off their smiles after defeating Lithuania in Kaunas in in midweek.

"Paul Hartley was very happy and for me it is very important to see Paul with a smile on his face. The Lithuanian players understand that Scotland were a little bit better and deserved their three points.

"Lithuania didn't play badly but they had very big problems after playing in Naples. Their trip back took ten hours because they were delayed. I know the players in the squad. They looked very tired.

"I watched Paul at Celtic Park and he played very well and very cleverly. He played both games for Scotland so he is nearing his top fitness. It is vital that my players come back with a good feeling. I was only concerned that none of our players got injured because we have enough injuries to cope with."

Taken from the Scotsman