Hearts goal hero Alex Lowry ruled out of the Viaplay Cup semi-final against Rangers

Midfielder must watch from the stand at Hampden Park

Alex Lowry has been ruled out of Hearts’ Viaplay Cup semi-final with Rangers due to rules surrounding loan players. The two clubs were paired together in Wednesday night’s draw, whilst Hibs will take on Aberdeen in the other tie. The matches are scheduled for the weekend of November 4 and 5.

Lowry scored a dramatic stoppage-time winning goal against Kilmarnock on Tuesday to propel Hearts into the semis, however he will not be able to take part against Rangers at Hampden Park. As an Ibrox player on a season-long loan at Tynecastle, he is not allowed to play against his parent club.

The news is a blow to Hearts after his impact against Kilmarnock. The 20-year-old scored his first goal in maroon to secure a 2-1 victory, but the Rangers manager Michael Beale confirmed he will be sidelined at Hampden. “Alex Lowry our boy went there and scored a fantastic finish so I’m delighted for him and he won’t be able to play,” said Beale. “I went to see him at the weekend and Steven has done a good job and both semi-finals look like fantastic games on paper. It’s exciting.

“They [Hearts] are the team I have watched probably the most this season because of Alex. I was at their game last week and unfortunately, he didn’t get on against St Mirren which was a good game. I think both ties look very good for the neutral and good for the competition. It’s quite a long way off with the amount of games we’ve got but it will be a really good day out for everybody when we get there.”