Harry Milne Available for Hearts Debut Against Rangers at Tynecastle
Harry Milne is set to be available for Hearts’ clash with Rangers on Sunday at Tynecastle Park, after missing Monday’s Scottish Cup victory over St Mirren due to being cup-tied. The left-back, who joined from Partick Thistle on transfer deadline day, is now pushing for a spot in the squad for the upcoming Premiership fixture.
Milne was ineligible for the cup tie in Paisley, having already featured for Thistle earlier in the competition. However, with league action resuming, he is now available and could be included among Hearts’ substitutes this weekend.
Hearts head coach Neil Critchley spoke to Edinburgh News about the defender’s potential involvement:
“That’s a decision we have to make. Harry has good experience playing in Scotland, and now he has the chance to step up again, as he has done before in his career. He’s capable of playing at left-back or left-centre-back if needed, and he has trained really well so far. He’s a really positive character.”
Critchley emphasized the club’s approach to integrating new signings:
“You can see he’s eager to impress, but we’re making sure not to overwhelm him with too much information straight away. The priority is letting him settle in, understand the group, and adjust to our training methods. However, I wouldn’t hesitate to involve him or even start him.”
Milne was one of several signings made by Hearts during the winter transfer window. Striker Elton Kabangu and centre-back Jamie McCart have already secured their places in the starting XI, while defender Michael Steinwender and midfielder Sander Kartum both featured in the cup win over St Mirren.
Discussing Steinwender and Kartum’s performances, Critchley noted that the extra minutes in extra-time were beneficial for their match fitness:
“We didn’t anticipate extra-time, but in a way, the additional 30 minutes helped them from a fitness perspective. Both recovered well, felt some tiredness after 48 hours, which is normal, but have trained since and are available for selection.”
