If there were any suspicions that Mo Salah might be past his best and over the hill after leaving Liverpool to join Trabzonspor in the summer, here was a reminder that class is permanent.

In this UEFA Conference League victory over a Hearts side ravaged by injuries, Salah scored the first from the penalty spot before teeing up the second with an assist for strike partner Franculino.

Salah may not quite be the explosive force of old who lit it up during a glittering nine-year stint at Anfield, but he is still a player of serious pedigree.

When he joined Trabzonspor a couple of months ago, thousands of fans mobbed him at the airport before making their way to the stadium for his unveiling.

In this fanatical hotbed of Turkish football, the Egyptian King reigned supreme against Hearts and was worshipped by an adoring public when he took his leave from the field midway through the second half.

For Hearts, it was in some ways quite a strange night. They did not play poorly. Without wishing to glorify defeat or patronise them, there were positives to be taken.

The performance was vastly improved on what they delivered against Celtic last weekend when they suffered a 7-1 mauling in Glasgow.

There were fears that a similar trouncing in Trabzon could be on the cards for Wouter Vrancken’s side but they emerged with credit and respectability intact.

The main problem for Vrancken is now an ever-lengthening injury list. Harry Milne suffered a knee injury in training on Wednesday night and could be set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Vrancken already had several key players out of action. Indeed, Hearts have enough players injured at the moment to fill a small hospital wing.

On the back of taking a hammering at Parkhead last weekend, the Belgian made four changes to his Hearts team for this trip to Turkey. It was a case of dealing with an injury crisis which seems to worsen by the week, whilst also preserving others such as Stephen Kingsley and Laurent Mendy who were carrying slight issues

Josh McPake and Oisin McEntee also dropped to the bench, while in came Christian Borchgrevink, Tomas Magnusson – effectively the only fit central midfielder – Rogers Mato and James Wilson in what was a depleted and makeshift XI in a lot of positions.

Especially in the case of Mato. Signed as a forward player who can play out wide, he was asked to play as an emergency left-back last night – and his direct opponent was Salah.

Jordi Altena, normally a right-back, was also asked to play in central midfield alongside Magnusson. In a stadium famed for its noise and hostility, this always looked like a tough assignment, all the more so with a lot of square pegs in round holes.

But credit to Hearts. They started the match fairly well and did not appear to be suffering from any sort of hangover after such an appalling display last Sunday.

They should have taken the lead after only six minutes when Malachi Fagan-Walcott rose to meet a Calvin Miller corner. The Englishman leapt with power and authority, but his header came back off the post when he really ought to have scored.

Even so early in the match, it was a huge chance. Especially against this calibre of opposition, Hearts could ill afford to pass up gilt-edged opportunities.

Hearts were pressing the game far better than they did against Celtic. There was more cohesion to what they were doing, more intelligence in how they went about it. But they were undone by a clumsy foul by Magnusson on the half-hour when he tangled with Trabzonspor striker Franculino inside the box.

Belgian referee Lawrence Visser, who has some history with Vrancken back in their homeland, pointed to the spot and would also book the Hearts boss shortly after for some protestations.

Salah stepped up and calmly slotted the penalty straight down the middle past Hearts keeper Beau Reus. In the stands, it was clear that the Trabzonspor fans have a new hero.

The referee was proving to be fussy and card-happy, dishing out five bookings in total across the first half. There was also a very strong claim that Hearts should have had a penalty on the cusp of half-time.

Claudio Braga tangled with Trabzonspor right-back Melih Kabasakal and it did appear like there was contact, yet Braga did not make any great appeal for it to be given.

Already down to the bare bones in midfield and in defence, Hearts saw another body head for the treatment room when Borchgrevink pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring strain, with Kingsley replacing him.

Trabzonspor went close to making it 2-0 when a clever dummy from Salah teed up Benjamin Bouchouari, but his shot was well saved by Reus.

For all Vrancken’s side trailed 1-0 at half-time, they were by no means out of the game and had enjoyed some really tidy spells of possession.

James Wilson linked well with Braga up front. Out wide, Miller also looked capable of causing problems. But any hopes of a fightback were scuppered ten minutes after the restart when the combination of Salah and Franculino sparked into life in devastating fashion.

They played a clever one-two on the edge of the box, with Salah’s lay-off allowing Franculino to steer a brilliant left-foot finish into the top corner past Reus.

It was a really classy finish from the Guinea-Bissau forward, who joined Trabzonspor for a fee of around £15million from Midtjylland at the start of the season.

It was now difficult to see a way back for Hearts. There was no denying the performance had been much-improved on what they delivered at Celtic Park. Yet, as the game approached the hour-mark, and for all their spells of possession, the reality was that Hearts hadn’t tested Trabzonspor goalkeeper Andre Onana anywhere near often enough.

The game fizzled out thereafter. Hearts looked leggy and like a team who are now reeling from the loss of so many key players to injuries.

Vrancken could ask no more from them. Especially on the back of what happened last weekend, this was a performance which could at least be passed as credible and competitive.

The Hearts boss did not have a huge amount of options on the bench to change things and was probably of a mind to try and save some legs, with a game away at Motherwell to come on Sunday.

Trabzonspor were reduced to ten men in stoppage-time when Sidny Cabral was sent off for a late challenge on Sabah Kerjota, but there was no time – or energy – left for Hearts to try and take advantage.

Trabzonspor (4-3-3): Onana 6.5; Kabasakal 6, Akaydin 7, Ozkacar 7, Cabral 6; Jabol-Falcarelli 7 (Simsir 71), Mendy 7.5 (Fabinho 87), Bouchouari 7.5 (Pina 71); Salah 8.5 (Tufan 71), Saviolo 7 (Akbar 87), Franculino 8. Booked: Cabral. Akaydin. Sent off: Cabral. Manager: Thomas Reis 7.5.

Hearts (4-2-3-1): Reus 7, Borchgrevink 6 (Kingsley 44), McCart 6.5, Fagan-Walcott 6, Mato 6.5; Altena 6.5, Magnusson 6; Guendouz 6 (McPake 75), Miller 7 (Kerjota 75), Braga 6.5 (Kabore 92); Wilson 6.5 (Williams 75). Booked: Miller, Borchgrevink, McPake. Manager: Wouter Vrancken 6.