Why Hearts could change shape with debut and surprise right-back.

 

Heart of Midlothian will travel to Forthbank early on Saturday evening to face Stirling Albion in search of their third consecutive win of the season and Premier Cup Sports campaign.

Derek McInnes is off to a strong start as Hearts’ head coach, having won two straight games and scoring eight goals. So far, 19 players have played in the two games, including five of the club’s six summer signings.

Only four of the 19 players have started both games: Frankie Kent, Beni Baningime, Alan Forrest, and James Wilson.

McInnes’ desire to give players game time and willingness to change shape, as he did this week in a 4-0 win over Hamilton Accies, make second-guessing his line-up difficult.

With Stirling Albion likely to play a back three, Hearts will almost certainly return to a back four. With that, Zander Clark, Harry Milne, and Lawrence Shankland should return to the starting lineup after either being left on the bench or coming on as a second-half substitute due to minor niggles.

Stuart Findlay is likely to be a regular this season, especially with Jamie McCart out injured. Kent and Craig Halkett are his potential partners.

The latter started on the bench while the former started both games, so we might see Halkett back in the middle. It wouldn’t be surprising if Michael Steinwender moved to right-back.

(Image: Hearts Standard)

Hearts fans have yet to see Oisin McEntee released in his preferred centre-midfield role, and he could partner [[Beni Baningime]] in the middle of the park, or possibly Cammy Devlin if McInnes is spreading out minutes. It would be harsh to drop Calem Nieuwenhof to the bench after two promising performances.

However, at the moment, it appears that McEntee and Baningime will form the midfield combination.

Forrest’s versatility will make him a valuable squad player, and with McInnes still looking to add to his winger depth, he should return to the right side of the attack to stretch the game laterally. On the other side, Alexandros Kyziridis could make his debut.

His natural movement is infield, so he could play a role similar to Claudio Braga’s in the Dunfermline game, allowing Harry Milne to attack on the flank.

Hearts fans will want to see more of the Portuguese forward, but don’t be surprised if he takes on another impact role as Shankland returns to partner Wilson.

After playing the majority of the last two matches, the teenager could benefit from a rest.

However, he and Shankland form a more balanced attacking duo than Braga, especially when Kyziridis is on the team. McInnes will want the ability to stretch the game vertically.

Alternatively, it could be Shankland, Braga, with one of Forrest, Kyziridis, or Yan Dhanda receiving an opportunity.

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