Two experienced Hearts players suspended for Scottish Cup tie against Camelon or Brora Rangers

Two experienced Hearts players are suspended for the Scottish Cup second-round tie against either Camelon or Brora Rangers.

Hearts must do without two experienced players in the Scottish Cup second round.

Defender Michael Smith and midfielder Andy Halliday have bans carrying over from last season’s delayed cup tournament, which ended with December’s final between Celtic and Hearts.

Smith and Halliday were cautioned in both the semi-final against Hibs and the final. That triggered automatic one-match Scottish Cup suspensions for both players which must be served in the first game of this season’s competition.

However, Hearts won’t be in cup action this weekend as planned. Camelon and Brora’s rearranged first-round tie has again been postponed tonight due to a frozen pitch and another attempt to play it will take place on Saturday.

Hearts must therefore await the winners and a new date for their first outing of this season’s Scottish Cup campaign. Manager Robbie Neilson confirmed that neither Smith nor Halliday can play.

“They are both suspended because of those yellow cards, so we have to do without them. It’s not ideal but there’s nothing we can do,” Neilson told the Evening News.

“Michael is isolating anyway. That ends on Sunday so he will be back in after that.”

Neilson plans to watch Camelon against Brora when it finally goes ahead. The game was moved to astroturf at Westfield Park in Denny with Camelon’s Carmuirs Park also frozen.

The East of Scotland League side are underdogs against the Highland League champions and Hearts want to glean knowledge on both teams.

They already have footage of Brora’s Betfred Cup ties earlier in the season but Camelon are more difficult to scout.

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