Australian players given a break by Hearts - also the latest on Stephen Kingsley, Craig Halkett, Cammy Devlin

Internationalists returning from the Asian Cup won't be rushed back

Hearts will not risk their Australian Asian Cup players Kye Rowles and Nathaniel Atkinson against St Johnstone on Wednesday night. The pair have been given time off following the Socceroos' elimination by South Korea in the tournament's quarter-finals last Friday.

Management at Riccarton believe the two defenders will benefit from a mental rest and will not include them in the squad for the Premiership visit to McDiarmid Park. Hearts are seeking to increase their unbeaten run to 10 matches after building serious momentum since mid-December.

Rowles and Atkinson could be back involved come Sunday evening when Hearts travel to Airdrie in the Scottish Cup fifth round. Until then, they will get a chance to recuperate from international exertions in Qatar.

"The Australian boys will get a break," the Tynecastle head coach Steven Naismith told the Edinburgh News. "We had a plan in place for every step regarding when they might go out of the tournament. They would always get some time off. To throw them straight back into the intensity of this is not right, we are not going to get the best out of them. I think you can see that with every player after the World Cup.

"They will have a period of rest and down time. They will come back in but their fitness levels will be good because they have continued to work. Four or five days off is of more mental benefit than anything else. They will be back in the building at the weekend."

Fellow Australian Cammy Devlin is not yet ready for match action. He is working back to fitness having missed two months of football with an ankle injury. Hearts are hopeful Steven Kingsley will be available against St Johnstone after illness, and that Craig Halkett will be 100 per cent after also feeling unwell. He only played the dying minutes as a substitute in Saturday's 3-2 win at Dundee.

"Cammy won't be back for Wednesday. Kingsley should be back and Halks will be back to full fitness, I hope," confirmed Naismith.