Jet-setting Patrick off to Canada

PAUL KIDDIE

PATRICK KISNORBO was due to jet off on Hearts’ pre-season tour to Canada today - less than 24 hours after returning from Australia.

The jet-setting Jambo touched down in the Capital at lunchtime yesterday just in time to pick up his kit and board the plane for the 5000-mile flight to Vancouver, where the Gorgie outfit are scheduled to play three matches, starting with Monday’s clash against Canada B.

Boss Craig Levein gave the 22-year-old a week’s leave of absence from his side’s pre-season training after Kisnorbo was advised by medical experts to rest a troublesome groin problem.

The injury meant he was unable attend his country’s pre-Olympics training camp in Switzerland, the midfielder remaining Down Under for a well deserved holiday after playing throughout the summer for the Socceroos.

Although he has since been overlooked for the Olympics squad next month, Kisnorbo will now turn his full attention to stepping up his training in the company of his team-mates in Vancouver.

Kisnorbo said: "Obviously I’m disappointed not to be going to Athens, but I can understand the reasoning as I didn’t go to the training camp in Switzerland.

"That decision was taken on medical advice and I wasn’t prepared to risk long-term injury by pushing my body beyond its limits."

Skipper Steven Pressley and full-back Alan Maybury will also be raring to go after being given an extra few days off following their international exertions for Scotland and the Republic of Ireland respectively, the pair having reported back for duty at the academy at Heriot-Watt University on Monday.

Levein, meanwhile, has reported no major injury concerns ahead of the trip.

Scotland star Andy Webster picked up a slight groin strain early in the week but has shrugged off the problem.

Taken from the Scotsman