JAMBOS EURO BLOW AS BARASA CROCKED

FC Ecomax Cluj 1

Hearts 1

HEARTS defender Nerijus Barasa has been ruled out of the club's Champions League qualifier and the start of the SPL season after being crocked in the final game of their Austrian tour.

Barasa limped off with a thigh knock as the Jambos struggled to a 1-1 draw against Romanian side FC Cluj Ecomax in Stainach yesterday.

Jambos boss Valdas Ivanauskas said: "It looks like Nerijus has a hamstring injury and he'll miss the start of the season.

"I don't know what happened, maybe he has suffered because of a hard training session.

"Now we have to do without him and psychologically it is very difficult for him. We need to talk with him."

Finnish international Juho Makela looked to have given Hearts victory when he rounded Ecomax keeper Petru Turcas to slot home in the 77th minute but Tiberiu Zelencz squeezed the ball into the net with seconds remaining to snatch a draw.

Ivanauskas added: "I was very angry at the goal we conceded as we are a strong team and this should not happen but it was a good test for us."

Taken from the Daily Record