Hearts beaten by Trabzonspor as injury woes deepen

Injury-hit Hearts produced a spirited display in Turkey but ultimately went down to a 2-0 Conference League defeat at the hands of Mohamed Salah-inspired Trabzonspor.

The depleted Jambos were up against it as they arrived in Trabzon without a string of key midfielders and defenders on the back of a 7-1 hammering at Celtic Park on Sunday.

And the Edinburgh side were dealt a further significant blow as it emerged ahead of kick-off that left-back Harry Milne had suffered suspected anterior cruciate ligament damage while training at Papara Park on the eve of the match.

Despite the clear sense of adversity, Hearts acquitted themselves well amid a hostile atmosphere before going down to Salah’s first-half penalty and a second-half strike from Franculino, laid on by the former Liverpool star.

The Jambos’ injury woes worsened further as right-back Christian Borchgrevink was forced off late in the first half, while Trabzonspor had Sidny Lopes Cabral sent off in stoppage time for a second bookable offence.

The defeat leaves Wouter Vrancken’s side with one point from two matches ahead of their trip to Swiss champions Thun in a fortnight.

As a result of Milne’s injury, Ugandan winger Rogers Mato was deployed as a an auxiliary left-back and handed the formidable task of marking Salah, who had notched nine goals in just 11 appearances since joining Trabzonspor.

The makeshift Jambos, who also had right-back Jordi Altena starting in midfield, would have been heartened by the strong start they made on the banks of the Black Sea.

Borchgrevink’s effort from just inside the Trabzonspor half forced back-pedalling goalkeeper Andre Onana to tip the ball over.

From the resulting corner, taken by Calvin Miller, Malachi Fagan-Walcott’s free header from inside the six-yard box came back off the post. Claudio Braga then glanced a header into Onana’s arms from a Miller free-kick.

Hearts had a let-off after quarter of an hour when Salah’s cross hit Altena’s arm in the box, but no penalty was awarded as an offside was spotted in the build-up following a lengthy VAR check.

Jambos boss Vrancken was yellow-carded in the 20th minute for protesting after Borchgrevink was booked for a foul. Moments later, Salah’s cross from the right caused panic in the Hearts box as the hosts started to crank up the pressure.

The Jambos were undone in the 32nd minute when Tomas Magnusson clumsily fouled Franculino as he drove into the box from the right, and captain Salah clipped the penalty nonchalantly down the middle as Beau Reus dived to his left.

Hearts were met with further adversity in the 41st minute when Borchgrevink pulled up with a hamstring injury and went off to be replaced by Stephen Kingsley.

Reus had to make a couple of saves in the closing minutes of the first half to deny Franculino and Benjamin Bouchouari but Hearts appeared unfortunate not to be awarded a penalty just before the break after Braga went down under a challenge from Melih Kabasakal.

The visitors started the second period brightly but Franculino curled home a magnificent finish from 15 yards after a slick one-two with Salah in the 58th minute.