Valdas - It's too risky to throw Hartley into AEK clash

VALDAS IVANAUSKAS today insisted he won't jeopardise Paul Hartley's career by rushing him back in time for Hearts' Champions League clash with AEK Athens.

The Tynecastle midfielder has been out of action since picking up a groin injury at the end of the season and did not feature in a single match on the club's tour of Austria last month.
He is not expected to feature in the home leg against the Greeks on Wednesday night.

However, he is back in training and receiving specialist treatment and could be back in the frame for the away leg a fortnight later.

Ivanauskas, though, does not want to risk a relapse and will only play him if he is 100 per cent fit.

The Hearts coach said: "Everyone knows the value of having Paul Hartley in the team, we need him to be playing in the first-team. I wish I could bring him back into the side today but, after the injury he has had, it would not be a benefit to him or to the team to bring him back quickly.

"The coming months will be very important for him, it is very difficult to replace him. He has had a bad injury and he has to listen to the physio and the medical staff and take their advice.

"It may be weeks before he is back, we don't know, we will just have to wait and see."

Hearts host Celtic tomorrow in their second SPL match of the season and, if past meetings are anything to go by, a mouthwatering match is in prospect.

Ivanauskas was sent to the stand by referee Dougie McDonald in the 1-0 defeat at Parkhead last season and the Jambos also had Takis Fyssas red-carded against Gordon Strachan's side earlier in the season.

The Hearts coach expects more of the same passion and controversy tomorrow. He said: "It is very early in the season but it will be very interesting to see the two teams who finished first and second in the league competing against one another again.

"Throughout last season, every time we played Celtic, it was a special game. It was the same with the games against Rangers because all three teams were competing for the title.

"I am sure it will be the same this season and you never know what to expect from the game - only God knows that!

"They are very special, very exciting games, but I enjoy every game."

Meanwhile Ivanauskas insisted there was no row with Vladimir Romanov after Hearts' 0-0 draw with Siroki Brijeg on Wednesday night. Romanov was reported to have been unhappy with the performance in the Pecara Stadium, but, while Ivanauskas admitted his side can play better football, he maintained that he was only concerned with the final result.

"I did not see any of the newspaper reports, I did not have a row with Mr Romanov," he added. "I don't know where this information comes from but there is no truth to it."

"Certainly there were no rows," commented Romanov. "I have full confidence in Valdas."

Taken from the Scotsman