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<-Page <-Team Sat 21 Feb 2009 Hearts 1 St Mirren 1 Team-> Page->
<-Srce <-Type Scotsman ------ Report Type-> Srce->
Csaba Laszlo <-auth Stuart Bathgate auth-> David Somers
[A Dorman 92]
28 of 040 Eggert Jonsson 77 L SPL H

Tynecastle trialists must wait to learn their fate


Stuart Bathgate
CSABA Laszlo expects to learn this week if he can sign either of the two trialists who have been training with Hearts recently – striker Graham Barrett and central defender Arunas Klimavicius.
Barrett, a 27-year-old Dubliner, is a free agent after being released by Falkirk as a cost-cutting measure last month. Earlier this month he scored for St Johnstone in a bounce match against the Scotland Under-21 team.

Klimavicius, a Lithuania international, is also a free agent after leaving Dinamo Moscow. Like Barrett, he started training at Riccarton with Hearts on Tuesday.

Hearts' lack of central defenders was glaringly apparent on Saturday when club captain Robbie Neilson, normally a right-back, had to fill in at centre-back alongside the versatile Eggert Jonsson. Until last month the established partnership was Christophe Berra, who has joined Wolves, and Marius Zaliukas, who is currently suspended after being sent off for the third time this season. Christos Karipidis, who would normally cover, missed the draw with St Mirren because of a virus.

The Tynecastle club are also in need of a striker who can score regularly. Mike Tullberg was recruited to do exactly that but has been out with a long-term injury, and Christian Nade, who has been playing on his own up front, has managed only three goals all season.

But the picture is complicated by the fact that Tullberg should be back in action next week, and Laszlo knows that may mean the club's directors tell him he effectively has a new striker without needing to sign Barrett.

"The club must decide," Laszlo said on Saturday. "Barrett is a good player, but next week Mike Tullberg is back so it is like I have a new striker.

"Arunas can help us. We need a central defender."

The sale of Berra was worth £2.3million to Hearts, but they are still trying to cut down on the size of their first-team squad and their wage bill. With Karipidis likely to be fit again for the visit to Tannadice this Saturday, Laszlo may well be told that neither trialist will be signed at present.


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