Neil Critchley revealed he will "manage the squad" as Heart of Midlothian play five games across 15 days.

Omonia Nicosia are visitors to Tynecastle Park on Thursday night in the second fixture of the league phase of the Conference League following the 4-0 win over St Mirren at the weekend. That is followed by a trip to Easter Road for the Edinburgh derby on Sunday, Kilmarnock at home on Wednesday and then St Johnstone away on Saturday.

It doesn't stop there. The period is rounded off with Heidenheim coming to Gorgie and then an away fixture at Rangers in what it is a huge period for the club that could shape the season before the next international break

Asked if he would be tempted to rest players on Thursday with the derby in mind, Critchley explained his philosophy.

"No, I don't call it resting," he said. "I just call it managing the squad. We've got Saturday, Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday. It's five games in 15 days.

"To play the way that we want to play, energy, intensity, then you have to manage the squad. And also I need to see some of the players play but you have to get the balance right.

"Too many changes would be possibly slightly foolish but to keep the freshness in the group and to play the way we want to play and also give the players an opportunity to impress, then that's something I have to consider in this period."

Critchley has plenty of experience of managing hectic schedules, both from his time managing in League One and the Championship in England, as well as with Liverpool from the academy days.

"We've prepared for the last couple of days for this game, straight off the back of Thursday's game," he said. "We'll be concentrating on the game on Sunday, so another two days of training and then we go again.

"We were actually going through the schedule yesterday for what it's going to look like in the future. Sometimes you have to adapt and be flexible, because you have to take into account not just the physical loading or how the players are feeling physically, but also the emotional aspect.

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"During my time at Liverpool the under-21s were playing the Premier League Cup, UEFA Youth League, the league - we were in loads of competitions. We did that on purpose because we wanted the boys to replicate what it would look like if they ever got a chance to go out and play 40, 50, 60 games.

"In the [English] Championship it's very similar. I'd like to think that managing a group of squad of players and a staff for a busy period is something that I'm good at."

Hearts have no injury worries ahead of the match with Daniel Oyegoke going off in the second half having pulled up and Blair Spittal suffering from cramp toward the end of the game.

"We're going to be as we were from the weekend," Critchley said. "No one's ready to come back yet. Even though there is the usual knocks, bumps from games, nothing is significant that I would think anyone's going to miss tomorrow night from."

Critchley has been in the job just over a week since being unveiled at Tynecastle Park last Tuesday. His understanding of the club has been helped by kitman Gordon 'Gogsy' Paterson.

The Hearts head coach shared a car ride with him on Wednesday afternoon when he made his way from the Oriam to the stadium for the pre-match press conference. It also provided him a moment of reflection.

"He tells me everything," Critchley revealed. "He's the man I turn to. He's the encyclopaedic knowledge of Hearts. He gives me a guided tour of the football club and the history of the football club. Brilliant company.

"And when you pull up at the ground, you do have those moments when you think, 'Wow, this ain't bad'. So I'm looking forward to this week."

Gogsy, of course, has given him the lowdown on the derby.

Crithcley said: "Some words I can't use! But from the first day he makes me well aware of the importance of that game.

"Thursday night first."

Critchley has the opportunity to make an early statement in his Hearts tenure with a big European night followed by a big derby at Easter Road. Was it the pefect time to come into the club?

"I'll tell you after Sunday," he said. "Sometimes things don't go well at football clubs. I've been there myself. A fresh pair of eyes and ears can help sometimes. I can only control what I can control. That is helping the players to improve on the training pitch individually, collectively.

"How do we want to play in possession, out of possession? We just have to keep working on it constantly, always looking to improve. If we do that and play a certain way, I'm confident performances will be there and results will follow."