Belgian may have to wait despite the work permit being in place.
Elton Kabangu might have to wait for a starting position in the attack until he proves himself worthy of playing time at Hearts. The 17-year-old James Wilson and the seasoned Liam Boyce have been playing well lately, so the new loanee from Union Saint-Gilloise will have competition for attacking spots.
Kabangu is currently practicing with the team at Riccarton in preparation for Sunday’s Premiership trip to Aberdeen after Hearts secured his UK work permit earlier this week. Originally signed as a center-forward but with the ability to play wide, the 26-year-old is on loan until the end of the season.
As Hearts earned seven of the final nine Premiership points, Wilson and Boyce developed a helpful partnership up front. They defeated Motherwell and Dundee United 1-0 to start the New Year off brightly after drawing 2-2 against Ross County in their last game of 2024.
Neil Critchley, head coach of the Hearts, plans to evaluate Kabangu throughout practice this week before determining his role at Pittodrie. Although he won’t immediately join the club, the newcomer is healthy and ready to play and will be part of the matchday squad. Critchley told the Edinburgh News, “No, definitely not.” “The team has performed admirably, especially in the previous two games. In both of those games, we started with the same lineup. The players had won consecutive games and played incredibly well.
Any player, in my opinion, would realise that they must put in a lot of effort to make the squad. Hopefully, that will be evident during training. The fact that the work permit is complete provides us a boost. Elton will be considered for the Aberdeen game after the training sessions this week are completed, which I am looking forward to.
