HEARTS will hand Portuguese right-back Tiago Costa another chance to impress against Preston North End tomorrow although they have dropped their interest in Czech midfielder Ales Urbanek.

The duo joined the Jambos squad for their pre-season tour of Austria and Costa played in two of the three fixtures while Urbanek featured once.

Boss Valdas Ivanauskas revealed in yesterday's Evening News that he needed more from both players if they were to win themselves permanent deals with the club although it would appear that Urbanek won't get that chance as he has now left the squad.

Costa, however, was due to travel south with the Gorgie club today as they prepare for their first pre-season friendly in the UK away to English Championship outfit Preston North End at Deepdale.

Assistant coach John McGlynn said: "Tiago, who was with us in Austria, is still with the squad and he'll travel to Preston.

"He probably won't start the game but there's a good chance he'll come on at some point but Ales is no longer with us. You are looking for any trialist to stick out and they have to realise that we have a fairly strong squad of players here and you almost have to be an internationalist to try and get a game here."

A large Hearts support is expected to make the trip to Preston, who were beaten in the semi-finals of the Championship play-offs by Leeds United last season, although they could be deprived of seeing some of the club's top stars with a number carrying knocks.

With Hearts in Champions League action at the end of this month the club are keen not to take any unnecessary risks that could impact on their chances of making it to the lucrative group stages of Europe's premier club competition.

McGlynn revealed: "Cesnauskis is struggling, Barasa is obviously out with a hamstring injury picked up while we were in Austria and Jankauskas is a doubt. They aren't too serious but as it's only a friendly they may not be risked.

"To compensate for that we've added John Neill and Jamie Mole to the squad. We will put out as strong a team as we can but there is a bit of tiredness in the players which isn't unusual at this stage of the season.

"We are working very much towards the July 26 so there has been a bit of an overload over the last few weeks although the nearer we get to the game we will let things calm down a little."

Meanwhile, Stevie Frail today backed Hearts to progress in the Champions League qualifiers.

Frail, the club's under-19 coach, returned to the Capital late last night having endured a marathon journey to get to Gomel in Belarus to see the club's prospective European opposition in action on Wednesday night.

Frail and part-time scout Tom Hendrie saw Shakhtyor Soligorsk lose 1-0 to Bosnian side Siroki Brijeg in the first leg of their first round tie - and Frail feels both sides are beatable.

He said: "They were both decent sides who looked good in spells but, if we play to our capabilities, then we should be able to progress."

The former Hearts star and Hendrie only arrived back in the Capital late last night following a 300km taxi journey from Gomel to Minsk and then a flight home via Frankfurt. The first-team squad, too, suffered travel woes last night. They only arrived back in Edinburgh from Austria after midnight following thunderstorms which delayed their flight.

Taken from the Scotsman