Steven Naismith revealed Heart of Midlothian have received positive news following a scan on Craig Halkett's knee.
The centre-back limped out of the 4-1 win over Airdrieonians midway through the first half of the Scottish Cup clash at the Excelsior Stadium. He was sent for a scan earlier this week and the initial reports are "good".
Halkett won't be out long term but Naismith said the expectation is for him to be back to his best next season, aiming to get him as many minutes as possible between now and the end of the campaign.
READ MORE: Assessing the Hearts squad: Depth, development and transfer potential
Naismith told HeartsTV: "Initial reports back of the scan are good. This is part and parcel of having a long-term injury and coming back and getting a niggle. You are asking your body to come from one extreme of doing nothing after an operation to getting back to an elite level. It happens.
"From now to the summer is about getting Craig as many minutes as possible, getting him on the training pitch consistently. Everybody at the club understands and expects to see the best of him next season when he's had a full pre-season."
Meanwhile, Naismith revealed Kyosuke Tagawa will miss Saturday's match with Motherwell after sustaining a concussion. Yutaro Oda is available again after recovering from his own concussion issue, as is Kenneth Vargas who was replaced at half-time of the win over Airdrie. Both were involved in training.
Read the rules here