Scotland duo set to leave Hearts

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon and forward Paul Hartley were surprisingly left out of the Hearts side that drew 0-0 draw at Rangers yesterday, prompting speculation that both are to be sold by the Edinburgh club. The two Scotland internationals now look set to leave the club, possibly before Wednesday night's deadline.

Although Gordon was expected to be fit for the Ibrox trip, Hearts insisted his absence was due to a continuing groin injury. However, Hartley was omitted for other reasons, with an imminent move to Rangers being heavily rumoured.

Valdas Ivanauskas, Hearts head coach, told BBC Radio Scotland: "Both players are not in the team. Craig has the same groin problem as last weekend and Paul Hartley cannot play in the game, but that is football business."

Ivanauskas refused to discuss the matter any further. Fulham are believed to have had a recent £2.5 million bid for Gordon turned down while Hartley has been strongly linked with Rangers since Jeremy Clement's move to Paris St-Germain left a midfield space to be filled in Walter Smith's squad.

Despite starting without Gordon and Hartley, Hearts withstood much pressure yesterday to secure a point and remain five points behind the Rangers in the race for second spot in the Scottish Premier League. Rangers believed they might have made the breakthrough after 77 minutes when captain Barry Ferguson put the ball in the net but his effort was rightly ruled offside.

Meanwhile, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan insists he is not uptight about his failure to beat Inverness Caledonian in their Highland fortress as he prepares for today's SPL visit. Since taking over at Celtic Park in the summer of 2005, the Tulloch Caledonian Thistle Stadium is the only ground in the SPL where Strachan has failed to record a victory.

However, he has no special plans to overcome Caley, who have held the champions to a 1-1 draw in both their previous meetings in Inverness. He said: "My sleeping pattern was just the same this week as it is against anybody else. I don't sit up at night sticking pins in dolls of Inverness players. I just get on with it.

"We put the same preparation in as we do for all teams. We don't spook players by putting in more preparation for a certain game. It's hard work up there. Inverness are organised and they are fit. And like most teams they produce another 10 per cent from somewhere against us. I don't know where they hide it during other games but they seem to produce it against us.

"The build-up can motivate players and the fact that it's live on television also motivates players. So we have to deal with all that and play as best we can."

Young defender Darren O'Dea is relishing the challenge of facing Caley as he continues to establish himself in Celtic's first team. After making his debut in a CIS Insurance Cup tie against St Mirren in September, injuries to Gary Caldwell, Bobo Balde and Stephen McManus have allowed the Irishman to command a regular place, latterly alongside new signing Steven Pressley.

O'Dea, 19, will partner Pressley again today and the Irishman has nothing but praise for the Scotland international who has helped him settle into life at senior level.

"It's great playing with Steven," he said. ''He talks me through games and that can only help a player of my age."

Taken from telegraph.co.uk