Craig Halkett was already playing catch-up when he feared his European dream had been shattered after just six minutes in Switzerland.
But the Hearts defender’s recovery from a hamstring pull sustained in a Europa League play-off defeat to FC Zurich last month is all but complete. Now all roads lead to Riga as the Jambos aim to get back on the rails after Thursday’s Conference League lesson from Istanbul Basaksehir.
A four-goal defeat by the Turks was a reminder of the step-up in class against continental opposition – and Halkett is convinced their clash against Rigas FS is a chance to realise both personal and club ambitions. He said: “It was extremely disappointing to get the injury after only a few minutes of the away play-off tie against FC Zurich. "I was gutted as my whole career has been building towards these types of games and towards heading in the right direction. To get to that point, and for it only to last six minutes, was so hard to take. It was hard to find any positives but at least, regardless of what happened, as a club we had already guaranteed group-stage football in Europe for this season.
“That was always the bigger picture and great to know even as I sat watching the remainder of that game and the home tie at Tynecastle. There was the comfort of knowing there would still be at least six more games in Europe.
“I was just trying to remain positive and there are now five games ahead of us. I’m just desperate to be a part of them.”
The Scotland squad man will be part of the Hearts group which travels to Latvia on Wednesday. He’s adamant no chances have been taken to ensure he’s ready to be involved in a Group A tie, which can become part of a kick-start to a season that has delivered only one win from their last six outings.
He said: “It’s only three weeks since I suffered the injury. It was a small tear on my hamstring so it has been about being sensible and making sure I’ve not rushed back too soon.
“I knew as soon as I pulled up in pain that it would mean I’d be out for a few weeks. It’s also part and parcel of football – these things happen.
“The timing of it hasn’t been great with the amount of fixtures we’ve had as well as a few disappointing results. It would have been easy to try to rush me back but the medical team have been cautious and sensible.
“It’s about making sure that when I do go back in I’m 100 per cent right and there is no great risk of me coming off (injured) again.
“My situation has been a bit different as I had an operation on my ankle during the summer, straight after the Scottish Cup Final. Ever since that I’ve been playing a bit of catch-up on the rest of the squad to try and get back in time for the start of the season.
“Nothing was rushed at that time as I felt good – but missing those couple of weeks of pre-season and not getting those miles into my legs just caught up with me a wee bit. I should be back for the game in Latvia on Thursday and I’m gearing up to be involved against Rigas.”
Halkett also believes the arrivals of former Scotland star Robert Snodgrass and keeper Zander Clark from St Johnstone can help enhance a squad atmosphere that remains high despite their recent trials and tribulations. He said: “We’ve brought a couple of new faces into the squad in the last few weeks and that has only added to the positive atmosphere.
“Snoddy is a big personality and is going to be great for the dressing room. Zander is also a top keeper and he’s also a welcome addition to the squad so everything around the place is still so positive.
“We are still fourth in the league and there’s still so much to look forward to in the months ahead. I didn’t know Snoddy before he walked into the dressing room but the lads were telling a few funny stories.
“He’s played at the top level for a long time and shown he can perform amongst the best. So he’ll bring a quality to our play in the final third as well as a big personality into the team.
“His arrival can only be a good thing for the younger boys too as they can learn from him. I’m looking forward to learning too, feeding off his experiences. So both on and off the park he’ll bring a lot to the club.”
