The return of the Australian midfielder is anticipated by fans.
After missing almost 11 months due to a hamstring injury, Calem Nieuwenhof is now healthy and available for Hearts. However, the club is taking great care and caution when deciding whether to reintroduce him to competitive football. He will not be promoted to the starting lineup by management without first enhancing his role as a substitute.
Nieuwenhof nearly made the bench during Hearts’ 3-2 victory against Kilmarnock in the Premiership on Saturday. It was decided to engage him in a training session that morning instead. He is now vying for a spot in the team for the trip to Dundee this weekend.
“He is available for selection, but I’m not sure if he will be in the squad,” Hearts head coach Neil Critchley told the Edinburgh News. We offered him a bounce game last week, and he performed well by playing 70 minutes. He has been training for a few weeks now. Instead of including him in the team to play Kilmarnock, we trained him on Saturday morning. We believed that training would be more beneficial for him than just sitting on the bench. Calem is training well and is at a terrific spot. He is available for selection if called upon.
Nieuwenhof last played for Hearts on March 3rd of last year against Celtic. The Australian midfielder suffered a setback in the summer that stopped him from participating in preseason training when he tore a hamstring that needed surgery. After his outstanding performances before the injury, fans are now anxiously expecting his return.
“We always make the player’s interests paramount in our decision-making. When considering what is best for Calem, that is crucial. He trained last Saturday morning for that reason,” Critchley said. He might have easily been benched, but we thought he might not play that game, so a challenging training session would be more beneficial to him. We must consider our needs as a team, but I always strive to do what I believe is best for the player.
“Right now, we have choices in the middle of the pitch. One of those will be Calem. Since he resumed full training, he has truly impressed me. I am aware that before the injury, he was doing quite well. The only thing left to do is bring him back into the team and give him playing time if the chance presents itself, which he deserves. After that, we can get him back to his peak level of fitness.
