Steven Naismith wants to ensure Calem Nieuwenhof doesn't miss more games than he needs to as the Heart of Midlothian head coach explained why the midfielder won't be available for the trip to St Mirren on Saturday afternoon.

The Australian midfielder has missed the last three matches after suffering a hamstring injury in the second half of the 2-0 win over Celtic at the start of March.

Nieuwenhof has been involved in training over the past two weeks but Naismith revealed he is "still not ready" and the manager is "not going to risk it".

"He's trained a lot this week but asking him to sprint and get to that last point his body is telling him not to," he said. "He's just not made it and we will see how it goes."

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After the St Mirren clash Hearts will host Livingston next Saturday before the Scottish Cup semi-final against Rangers. It is not a case of wrapping Nieuwenhof in cotton wool but ensuring he is not rushed back too quickly which could see him aggravating the hamstring.

"It's more that you don't want it to drag on and before you know it he's missed 10 weeks and he's not fit enough to contribute in the last few games," Naismith said.

"For me, it is one of the most frustrating injuries you can have, a hamstring or a calf injury because you feel good, everything is good but it takes that one moment of tiredness or fatigue to set you back weeks. From my experiences, I am very conscious of that with the players.

"Calem is doing all he can but we would rather give him another week."