Injury problems force Hearts into reshuffle

HEARTS will have to overcome a triple injury blow with Steven Pressley, Rudi Skacel and Edgaras Jankauskas almost certainly out of tomorrow's trip to Inverness.

Head coach Graham Rix has been busy putting contingency plans together to compensate for the likely absence of the three critical players from his side.

Pressley is toiling to recover from the virus that excluded him from Sunday's victory at Livingston and has been sent for tests on the ailment, whilst Skacel damaged his ankle at Almondvale and Jankauskas has suffered a dead leg. All three are now serious doubts for tomorrow, with Roman Bednar, scorer of the decisive late goal against Livingston, preparing to deputise for Jankauskas.

"Edgaras got a dead leg, which is affecting his hamstring and his nerves," said Rix of the striker who has scored four goals in Hearts' last three matches.

"We will give him as long as we can but, as with the other two, it's not looking too good. Elvis hasn't been right all week and he's gone for tests to see if we can get to the bottom of his problem.

"Rudi was always going to be touch and go because of his ankle. He has managed some light work on his own with the physios but I can't hide the fact that he's very doubtful, so that's possibly three big misses for us."

The expected return of Bednar would galvanise the side after his winner last week. "That goal has given him such a lift and he's getting better every week," added Rix.

After three consecutive victories, Hearts travel to the Highlands with confidence and a steely determination about them to maintain the eight-point advantage they hold over Rangers in the SPL.

Rix went on: "I want us to maintain the work we've done recently in getting important results. I'm expecting a physical battle as Inverness have some big boys. We have to match that.

"Craig Brewster was in charge when we played them in December and they had this great away record. Having played them in that match, and drawn 0-0, I can see why. They were well organised, worked really hard and made themselves difficult to break down. It will be the same up there."

Rix is aware that his side haven't been delivering flowing performances of late, but with the season approaching its most telling stage the head coach remains unperturbed.

"Last weekend everybody expected us to go to Livingston and give them a pasting. But they are fighting for their lives and had a new manager, so it was always going to be difficult for us.

"It was a great result without being a great performance, although I think we played okay in patches.

"Against Partick in the cup the week before, I wasn't kidding when I said the most important thing was to get through. I think we under-performed that day because there was a lot of pressure on us.

"But again the players have to learn to live with that. If they want to be top players in a top team, year in, year out, they've got to be able to handle it.

"The important thing is we have ground out two big results. You aren't going to go through an entire season playing fantastic football. Look at Chelsea. They don't play great every week, but they are solid and when they get a goal at home or away, they make sure they dig out a result."

Taken from the Scotsman