Hearts provide update on three injured stars as Robbie Neilson rails against match official

Hearts boss Robbie Neilson revealed things aren’t looking good for club captain Craig Gordon after the goalkeeper was taken to hospital with a serious leg injury.
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The Scotland international was hurt in a challenge with Steven Fletcher midway through the second half of Hearts’ 2-2 draw with Dundee United at Tannadice. Gordon left the field on a stretcher with his leg in a brace and the assistance of oxygen.

It was the third Hearts injury suffered on the day after Craig Halkett and Stephen Kingsley were also forced off. Neilson is optimistic neither player is going to be out for too long but are immediate doubts with an away match at St Johnstone in midweek prior to the Edinburgh derby, but current concerns surround the reigning SFWA Player of the Year winner.

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“Craig's the one we're really worried about,” said Neilson. “He's away to hospital and it doesn't look great but I'm not going to speculate on it. We'll wait and see over the next few days but my thoughts are with him and hopefully it's not too bad.

Robbie Neilson speaks with referee Colin Steven after the conclusion of Hearts' 2-2 with Dundee United at Tannadice. Picture: SNSRobbie Neilson speaks with referee Colin Steven after the conclusion of Hearts' 2-2 with Dundee United at Tannadice. Picture: SNS
Robbie Neilson speaks with referee Colin Steven after the conclusion of Hearts' 2-2 with Dundee United at Tannadice. Picture: SNS

“I don't think Halkett's too bad. He's walking about which is pleasing. Initially we thought it was quite a bad one but he seems to have settled. I think he just jarred his knee but we'll get him scanned.

"Kingsley looks like a concussion so he'll just need to do the protocols and see where he is.”

Neilson was again less than impressed with the implementation of the VAR system and performance of the match official.

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After Michael Smith cancelled out Steven Fletcher’s opener Hearts thought they had the chance to take the lead with a late first-half penalty. Ex-Jambo Arnaud Djoum was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the penalty area as Cammy Devlin looked to move inside. However, after VAR intervention, the decision was overturned.

Though the same was true of the incident involving Gordon and Fletcher which led to the injury, Neilson was completely flummoxed as to how the official arrived at the decision at the first place. The away-team boss wasn’t even in agreement with the penalty which saw his side snatch a late point through Lawrence Shankland, who equalised after Dylan Levitt had retaken United’s lead.

“If I say what I really mean I'll end up with a 10-match ban,” said the Hearts coach. "I've seen Cammy's and he chops him, it's a penalty. His hand's down and he makes his body bigger.

“The one he gave against Craig was astounding. I've no idea what he was thinking. Even if Fletcher got a touch, Craig made the save and the ball went 90 degrees to the right. But Fletcher didn't even get a touch and Craig knocked it to the right and for some reason he gives a penalty. It's baffling.

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"I don't think ours at the end was a penalty, to be honest. I think that was the wrong decision.

I really don't know how they go to VAR. You talk about clear and obvious mistakes. If it's about that, the first one wasn't a clear and obvious mistake, it was a handball. The last one, I think it's a mistake and it doesn't get reviewed. Sometimes it can be exciting but when it's happening regularly it can be a bit of a shambles."

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