Hearts look to fringe players to extinguish Alloa's threat

THE Scottish backbone of the Hearts side will be missing against Alloa Athletic this evening but coach Valdas Ivanauskas believes his squad has enough quality to withstand the absence of Craig Gordon, Steven Pressley and Paul Hartley for the CIS Insurance Cup match.

The trio will be rested as Ivanauskas looks to his fringe players to negotiate the third-round tie at Recreation Park.

Gordon and Pressley have played 14 matches each already for club and country and are due a break, and Hartley is still in the throes of a comeback after injury.

"I think now is a good time for these players to have a break," Ivanauskas explained. "I understand the physical effect of so many games, and also the mental fatigue. Maybe they want to be in the squad, but I think it is better for them to have two days off.

"I can definitely now say there will be no Elvis, no Paul Hartley and also no Craig Gordon.

"They have played regularly since August until now, which is a lot of games and it is not possible to keep going. Especially for Paul, he did not have a full pre-season and needs rest."

This midweek appointment differs vastly from six days ago, when over 27,000 fans watched in the rain as Hearts' European hopes were dashed at Murrayfield against Sparta Prague. At Recreation Park, playing against a side who currently reside at the foot of the Second Division, the notion of defeat simply cannot be borne.

Stand-in goalkeeper Steve Banks, record signing Mirsad Beslija and Greek defender Christos Karipidis will be handed starting places as Hearts look to progress further in the competition than they did last season, when a run of eight successive wins came to a halt at Livingston in the third round.

Ivanauskas will use that defeat as a motivational tool, although it should be remembered Hearts rested key players on that occasion too and paid the penalty.

"I will remind the players of last season when we were beaten by Livingston," said Ivanauskas, "it was not good for the club or the image but I think the players understand that. I hope tomorrow we can do better than last season. We have a big, quality squad and a lot of players on the pitch will be internationals."

Alloa have a host of injury problems to contend with, and summer signing David McClune is set to make his debut tonight after regaining full fitness.

Manager Allan Maitland is without injured Ross Clark, Michael Stuart, Neil McCallum and Kieran McAnespie, while Stuart Malcolm is suspended and Fraser Forrest and Michael Bolochoweckyj are doubtful.

Manager Allan Maitland recognises Hearts would need to be off-form if they are to tumble out of the competition but insists Queen's Park's giant-killing act against Aberdeen in the last round has given him hope.

Maitland said: "It would be a major upset if we beat them. It would have to be a great night for us, a terrible night for Hearts and a bit of luck involved as well. But Queen's Park's win over Aberdeen has given us a bit of hope, so it is not beyond the realms of possibility."

Taken from the Scotsman