Within the Heart of Midlothian squad, there are a few individuals who have had a tough 12 months. Craig Gordon, Liam Boyce, Beni Baningime and Barrie McKay have all had long spells on the sidelines and periods of rehab.

Craig Halkett is another.

The centre-back described the last year as "long". An injury sustained on Christmas Day 2022 saw him out of action until last month. He has since gone on to feature in four of the last five fixtures and could be in line for a start in the final game before the winter break against former side Livingston on Tuesday afternoon.

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He said he is feeling "good" and has no concerns about playing on Livi's artificial surface so quickly after returning, but is aware that Hearts fans won't see him at his very best until after the winter break.

"It has been a long year, " he said. "And myself, the manager and the sports scientists all know it’s going to take a few games to get back up to 100 per cent. But right now I am feeling as good as I can be.

"I played on that pitch for three and a half years, so I’m pretty used to it. It’s not something I have in the back of my head.

“When we go to Kilmarnock we practice on astro a couple of days before just to get used to bounces and the way the ball goes. So it’s not something I am thinking about, to be honest."

Hearts have a few key players out with injuries so the winter break is coming at the right time collectively. For Halkett, it will be valuable time to continue with his progression. 

"It was always important for me to come back in and play a couple of games before the break," he said. “I didn’t want to go into the break not having featured, so it was good to get some minutes under my belt.

“Like I said, it was always going to take time after such a long time out to get up to 100 per cent. We have another game on Tuesday and then I can work hard during the break to come back.

“We’ll have a few days off. Everyone in the squad will, whether they have been playing or not, we’ll all have a complete rest. There will be a couple of days of an off-season programme to get us back to speed before we come in. And then I’m sure the first ten days or so will be like a mini pre-season to get us back ready.

“But the rest will be important.”

Despite Livingston's lowly league position - they sit bottom having won just two league games all season and are on a run of 12 without a win - Halkett still expects a tough game, admitting he is surprised to see his former side struggling under David Martindale.

READ MORE: Craig Halkett Q&A: Injury progress, Livingston challenge, winter break benefit

"The work Davie has done there since I was there and since I have left has been brilliant," he said. “He says it himself, at the start of every season everyone tips them to go down and they always defy the odds.

“I think for a club like Livingston they have been in the top league for five or six years now and it was a great achievement every single year they did it. So to see where they are is a bit of a surprise but I still think they’ll have enough to get out of it.

“It’s not just Davie, it’s everyone in the building, the kitman, the physios, the staff in the kitchen, they’re all so close-knit. They all pull in the same direction.

“We’ve spoken about the break for us and the break is probably coming at a good time for them as well. They can go away, rest, recover and reset before they come back and I’m sure they’ll do everything they can to stay up."

He added: "Every team knows how tough it is when you go there. It doesn’t matter the run they have been on or even the run we have been on, it’s the last game before the break. So everyone will be going into it trying to pick up the win so they end the first half of the season on a high."