With seven goals, Stewart is Hearts' top scorer this season

Michael Stewart has revealed that he has been in contract talks with Hearts for the last two months.

The club captain is one of a number of senior players whose existing deals expire in the summer and who may be offered deals by manager Jim Jefferies.

Stewart, 29, told Hearts TV: "I started speaking to the club a couple of months ago and we're just in the process of trying to negotiate something.

"We're in the middle of talking and we'll see how it pans out."

Stewart, Hearts' top scorer this season on seven goals, is set to miss Saturday's Edinburgh derby with the calf tear that has ruled him out of his team's last two matches.

"It's progressing along quite well," said Stewart, who hopes to return for next Saturday's Scottish Premier League game with Rangers.

But he will not take any chances with the problem after aggravating the injury during the warm-up for the defeat at Dundee United almost two weeks ago.

He said: "The nature of the injury is that I can't really do any more than my body will let me.

"If I do then I'll find myself back at square one, looking at three or four weeks out."

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