Heart of Midlothian head into tonight’s Champions League second qualifying-round tie at Sturm Graz with a clear message from manager Wouter Vrancken: we’re ready.
Vrancken’s side face the Austrian outfit at 19:45 BST in Graz, a match that could hand the Jambos a third-round tie and a £5million Europa League league-phase fallback. The Belgian boss will hand 21-year-old Harry Milne the captaincy in his first competitive game in charge, while towering summer signing Amadou Ba-Sy could make his competitive debut after impressing in a pre-season friendly.
What Vrancken expects from his Heart of Midlothian side
Vrancken has kept his starting XI under wraps ahead of the trip to Austria, but insists his players have done the work to be match-fit. He wants Heart of Midlothian to attack from the first whistle and avoid overthinking the next round.
“We’re as ready as possible,” Vrancken said. “Everybody has worked hard to come here and to be here. I know we'll give our best tomorrow. It’s very important that we show guts from the start and don't think about other qualifiers or the next round. Just stay in the moment, go full out and give everything on the pitch.”
Why Amadou Ba-Sy could start in Graz
Ba-Sy joined Heart of Midlothian from FC Rouen last month for a reported €200,000 fee and scored twice in his first 45 minutes against Rayo Vallecano on Friday. His impact earned him a late call-up to the UEFA squad and a potential start in Graz after he was initially left out.
Asked why he reinstated Ba-Sy over Rogers Mato, Vrancken said: “When you saw him in the Rayo game, I think when you play your first 45 minutes after a few weeks of training and have that much impact, it would have been a mistake on my side to leave Amadou out. When he starts, he's now at 45 minutes and it worked pretty well, actually.”
The captaincy and changing leadership at Tynecastle
With Craig Halkett sidelined through injury, Milne will wear the armband for the first time under Vrancken. The new boss has also reshaped the Heart of Midlothian leadership group after several exits this summer.
“It will be Harry tomorrow,” Vrancken said. “But I can also say that I've already spoken with the players. The club captain is Craig Halkett. Then it's Kingsley, then Harry, then Jamie, and then Spittal. That's the order.”
What’s at stake for Heart of Midlothian in Europe
A win tonight keeps Heart of Midlothian in the Champions League race and could set up a third-round tie against Fenerbahce or Gornik Zabrze. Even a defeat wouldn’t end their European campaign, with a guaranteed £5million Europa League league-phase spot available.
Vrancken said: “It means a lot. I think every player dreams of playing in the Champions League but also in Europe generally. If you can qualify already and know you're guaranteed European games until the winter or into next year, it would be great.”
