Pospisil doubt for Hearts' Scottish Cup quarters

CZECH striker Michal Pospisil is a serious doubt for Hearts' Scottish Cup quarter-final with Partick Thistle on Saturday after suffering a deep gash to his head in yesterday's reserve draw with Motherwell.

Pospisil crashed to the floor after a 25th-minute challenge by William Kinniburgh in the 0-0 draw at Forthbank. He was replaced by youngster Mark McCusker before having his head stitched and heavily bandaged.

Coach John McGlynn said today: "The cut is right on the same part as the one he got against Dundee United and it's actually worse than that wound. It's a bad one.

"He had to have stitches in it yesterday and it's the sort of gash that will probably open up very quickly because it's so deep. He must come in to the doubtful category for Saturday.

"We will have to be careful with him and we know the injury might rule him out for the weekend. Even heading the ball might reopen it because it is that bad. There are three days to go and we need to take advice from the medical staff."

It's also uncertain whether captain Steven Pressley will be fit in time after he was sent home from training on Monday with a virus and has yet to return to Riccarton. "We are hoping he will return to training in the next day or two," said McGlynn. "The quicker the better, but he must come back right and be careful his virus doesn't spread."

Samuel Camazzola came through 90 minutes for the reserves yesterday after missing more than two months with a stress fracture in his foot.

McGlynn continued: "He did okay considering it was his first game in two months. It was just a matter of getting him through the 90 minutes as no-one expects him to be hitting top form.

"We saw last week that Edgaras Jankauskas played for 45 minutes in the reserves and then had a great game at the weekend, so the reserve games are a good vehicle for getting people like Sammy back to fitness."

Head coach Graham Rix, meanwhile, has conceded that it will be well into next month before the injured pair of Nerijus Barasa and Neil McCann are ready to make their return.

"I'd love them back even for next week but I think they'll both be at least another two or three weeks before they are available for selection, and we don't want to rush them," said the Englishman. "We saw last weekend the effect of a big player, Jankauskas, coming back after a while out. Roman Bednar is also knocking on the door, and then all of a sudden to get people like McCann and Barasa back - it's like having brand new signings who already know what playing for Hearts is all about and what to expect."

Taken from the Scotsman