DUFFY: GORD TO GET SLAP ON WRISTS

JIM DUFFY last night predicted Heart keeper Craig Gordon will still be captain after his disciplinary hearing.

Former Tynecastle director of football Duffy expects the Scotland star to be given only a "slap on the wrist" when he faces club bosses today.

Gordon and Paul Hartley, who had a similar hearing last Thursday, sat beside former skipper Steven Pressley when he made a public stand against club owner Vladimir Romanov on October 27 and revealed there was "significant unrest" within Tynecastle.

That stance ultimately led to Pressley's departure last month while Hartley was only a substitute for Saturday's 1-0 home defeat by Aberdeen.

Midfielder Hartley's long-term future at Gorgie is in doubt, especially as he was not promoted from vice-captain to captain.

But with Gordon - who was made skipper last Friday - the club's most saleable asset and a fans' favourite, Duffy expects he'll only be reprimanded.

He said: "It's just an investigation and I don't think anything will happen to Craig.

"He'll be staying but I'm not sure if Paul will be at Tynecastle past January - not getting the captaincy said it all.

"But Craig is far too valuable an asset.

"And there are no suggestions he'll leave unless, of course, some club offers the right money which would be a totally different scenario to the October statement.

"Craig is a fantastic keeper. He's a young, mature guy and probably the only first-team player who is guaranteed an automatic game.

"I also think he has been appointed skipper with a view to appeasing some of the supporters.

"He'll get a wee slap on the wrist today, told to keep his views to himself and will then carry on with the captaincy."

Taken from the Daily Record