Kisnorbo tells how he feared injury would prove a real heart stopper

PAUL KIDDIE

HEARTS star Patrick Kisnorbo today revealed how he feared a broken foot had wrecked the biggest week of his football career.

The Australian thought he had suffered the fracture after being left in agony following the Jambos’ magnificent UEFA Cup win over Bordeaux in France a fortnight ago.

Kisnorbo suffered the injury in the first half of the clash in the Stade Chaban-Delmas but battled through the pain to play a key role in his side’s stunning triumph.

His level of discomfort steadily increased after the final whistle, though, to the extent that he found it difficult to walk and had to be helped from the plane when the squad touched down back in Edinburgh.

He immediately feared the worst and started to curse his luck with the derby against Hibs at Tynecastle and the sell-out UEFA Cup showdown with Bordeaux looming on the horizon.

Much to the Aussie ace’s relief, hospital X-rays showed just severe bruising. And while he was forced to sit out the 1-0 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie, Kisnorbo returned to full training at the start of this week and is now preparing to make his bow in the Capital showdown on Sunday when Bobby Williamson brings his men across the city.

Four days later, the Jambos will attempt to complete a famous European triumph against Bordeaux at Tynecastle and Kisnorbo is just delighted to be fit enough for consideration. "I hurt my foot in the first 15 minutes of the game in Bordeaux and to be honest I thought it was broken," he said.

"When I came out for the second half I told one of the backroom staff that I thought there was a break as the foot was killing me.

"As I warmed up more it wasn’t as bad, although still painful.

"After the game I was in complete agony and I even struggled to get off the plane when we arrived back in Edinburgh.

"I went for X-rays the following day and they showed nothing was broken and just bad bruising.

"It was a huge relief when I heard it wasn’t broken as I have just forced my way into the team and don’t want to miss any games.

"Missing the Aberdeen game was bad enough but it is an exciting period for the club with the derby on Sunday and then the UEFA Cup return in the space of a few days.

"I want to be part of it all and want to get back into the team as soon as possible."

He added: "I rested the foot last week and came back to training on Monday and it’s getting better and better which is great news.

"Our physio Alan Rae has been doing an excellent job and I’m sure I’ll be fine for the derby, depending on what the gaffer decides to do."

Summer signing Kisnorbo had yet to figure in the first team when the arch rivals clashed at the start of the season, Garry O’Connor’s last-minute strike winning the spoils for the ten-man hosts after Grant Brebner’s first-half dismissal.

The defender watched from the stands that day as his new team-mates struggled to make the most of their numerical advantage but the occasion whetted his appetite for some real action this weekend.

Levein looks set to hand the versatile stopper a key role in Sunday’s encounter but Kisnorbo insists he will not be preparing any differently for the game.

"I had to watch the last game from the stand at Easter Road and even though we lost, it still made me want to be part of it on the pitch," he said.

"I am pretty relaxed about the whole thing.

"It is just another game for us with the same three points on offer as every other week. There is always passion and confrontation in these types of matches and it’s a game we’re all looking forward to."

Levein will be looking to keep up the good run of form which has seen his side race away in third place in the SPL, the Gorgie outfit currently five points clear of nearest rivals Motherwell.

Hearts have roared back from their 5-0 defeat to Celtic at Parkhead last month by storming to five successive victories and the impressive run has worked wonders for the team’s confidence, according to Kisnorbo.

"A good run of results like that helps build confidence and there is a happy atmosphere around the club just now," he said. "Hopefully we can keep that going on Sunday.

"We may have lost the last derby to ten men but we can’t worry about what happened then.

"The focus is this game and in big matches like this it is important to do the simple things correctly.

"We are third in the league, we want to catch Rangers now and it is important we try to keep the pressure on them by continuing to get results.

"And if we can get a good outcome on Sunday then it will set us perfectly for the European tie against Bordeaux next week."

Taken from the Scotsman