Hearts explain the Home Office delay with Elton Kabangu's work permit - and Kye Rowles negotiations

Hearts head coach Neil Critchley explained the delay behind Elton Kabangu’s work permit following the 1-0 win over Dundee United at Tannadice. James Penrice’s 73rd-minute volley settled the match at Tannadice Park and earned Hearts back-to-back league wins for the first time this season. However, Kabangu could not take part.

The Belgian striker arrived on loan from Union Saint-Gilloise on New Year’s Day but is still awaiting a work permit to play in Scotland. Critchley outlined his frustration at the situation as he looks to get the player involved. “It’s the Home Office. They must be having a good Christmas or something so we've not been able to get that over the line yet,” said the manager. “Hopefully in the next 24-48 hours, they'll be back in work after Christmas and we can get that sorted.

“It’s a big frustration. He's desperate to get going and we want to see him out there on the pitch and he'll bring something different to us definitely. James Wilson, he led the line incredibly well again today. It might be slightly unfair to keep putting that burden on him but I have to say sometimes you have to let young players go and I think for a boy of his age, the way he's led the line, stretched the game, the quality in which he's shown on the ball and his maturity and his play, has been well beyond his years.”

READ MORE: Report and player ratings from Dundee United 0-1 Hearts

Critchley also confirmed that the Australian centre-back Kye Rowles, who played 90 minutes against United, is close to exiting Hearts in a £600,000 transfer to MLS club DC United. “We're in negotiations with that club now. Kye is obviously an important player for us and we don't want to lose him but everyone has a price unfortunately,” said the Englishman.

“January creates this uncertainty. Agents, players, rumours, gossip, it creates this and sometimes there'll be a lot of players on the pitch today that no-one's aware of - that they've been spoken to and their agents are saying they're interested in you and they want you and it's not easy for players. Kye's been fantastic, he's been a brilliant servant for the football club in the last few years, he's been fantastic for me. I think he's played nearly every minute of every game and we don't want to lose him but, as I say, everyone has a price.”

There is a possibility that Yutaro Oda and/or Barrie McKay could follow Rowles out of the Tynecastle exit door this month. “We'll see,” said Critchley when asked about the two wingers. “Some players, when they're not in the squad and they want to play football, January's open so it does give that option. I think if you look at Jorge Grant and Liam Boyce where they've been out of the team, then they get an opportunity to play. I won't rule anything in but I won't rule anything out either.”

Critchley declared himself delighted with the victory over United after naming the same starting line-up for two games running for the first time as Hearts manager. “I just felt the players deserved to go again. I thought they put on a really good performance against Motherwell and there's a good synergy about the team, there's a good rhythm about them. Obviously, you're always having the game schedule at the back of your mind. Sometimes it’s being in rhythm and just playing and let's go again and see where we are after 45 or 60 minutes. If some of them are flagging we can always make subs, so that's why we did it.

“I thought it was a really good performance from us. You always have to have performance and a result and I think we got both of them. To come to an in-form team, sitting third in the league, I thought we put on a really good performance. I think we edged the game and deserved to win.

“United ask a lot of questions of you. They get the ball forward, they get the ball in the box from long throw-ins and free-kicks and corners. I think it might have been Mal [Boateng] right at the death who flicked it towards the goal and Craigie saved it. We protected Craigie really well, we protected the goal well and I don't think he's had a shot to save in the whole game. That was a testament to the whole team and how we defended as a team.

“That was the message to the players before the game: That's the first time we've won back-to-back in the league this season and that gives us a big lift, especially winning here. We've not done particularly well away from home this season. We've had back-to-back 1-0 wins, it's a great scoreline 1-0, clean sheets and nicking a good goal which Penners did. It should be three wins but I have to stop going on about the Ross County game, I'm still having nightmares about that one.”

The win means Hearts are still 11th in the Premiership but now only four points behind sixth-placed St Mirren. “We just want to keep performing and if we do that then the results will take care of themselves,” said Critchley. “I know the league is really tight. It’s congested from us up to maybe sixth, so we've had an important couple of wins - but don't get too high when you win and don't get too down when you lose. We're going to Aberdeen next week and that will obviously be another tough game.”

Hearts were without second-choice goalkeeper Zander Clark and midfielder Beni Baningime at Tannadice. “Beni was ill unfortunately,” confirmed Critchley. “He was ill overnight and before we left this morning he was at the training ground but he'd just been sick overnight. We decided for him not to travel.

“Zander pulled out of training yesterday and just felt a little bit of an issue with his knee. We're not expecting that to be serious or long-term. He just had a bit of a niggle that he'd picked up. I think it was prior to the Motherwell game in the warm-up. So we're hopeful that will be fine and he'll be okay.”