Ellis Simms gets Hearts cotton wool treatment as Robbie Neilson rates chances of striker making Scottish Cup Final

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Hearts manager Robbie Neilson is protecting Ellis Simms due to a groin issue. The on-loan Everton striker has been a success since joining in January and scored the opener in the Edinburgh Derby win at Hampden that fired the Jambos to the Scottish Cup Final.

But without careful management there's a chance Simms won't make that game after struggling through for the last couple of months.That's why the frontman has been benched in recent games as he came on as a substitute to score the winner against Dundee United last month before then featuring in the final 20 minutes of the goalless draw with Ross County.Hearts fans will be desperate to see him named in the starting line-up for the Final against Rangers on May 21.

But Neilson says he'll need to be treated with care if that's to happen as he told the Edinburgh Evening News : "Simms has a problem with his groin. "He’s had it for six or eight weeks now and we are just trying to manage it."We have an eye on the cup final.

If we just keep playing him and keep playing him, we will get to the cup final and he won’t be 100 per cent. We are hopeful we can manage it."Hearts will however be boosted by the returns of Stephen Kingsley, Cammy Devlin, Michael Smith and Aaron McEneff for Saturday's clash at Celtic, though they won't take any unnecessary risks.