HEARTS chief Vladimir Romanov has threatened to stay away from this weekend's crucial capital derby because he couldn't bear to watch his stars being hurt.

The Tynecastle club's Lithuanian owner said he may not return to Scotland for the Hibs game even though it could go a long way towards securing Hearts a place in next season's Champions League.

Romanov said: "I want to support the team but it upsets me too much to watch our players get injured. There must be a way of creating a fantastic game without the need to cripple the rival team's players.

"I'm not sure if I'll go. I'll only know on Friday whether or not I'm going to Scotland."

Taken from the Daily Record