Preview: Hearts v St Johnstone: Unpaid Hearts players face test of morale against upbeat Saints

HEARTS players remain in wait for their November salaries ahead of today’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League fixture with St Johnstone at Tynecastle.

The Edinburgh club are saddled with a host of ongoing concerns at present –with owner Vladimir Romanov voicing his desire to sell, £35 million of debt and the potential need for a new stadium – but chief among them has been the delayed payment of players for a second successive month.

Prior to last Saturday’s 2-1 win over Inverness, Hearts had not scored in four games, picking up one point from a possible 12, a run which dated back to before their payment was first delayed. Their salaries are due on the 16th of each month and, but they were made to wait until 4 November for their October payment, and have now gone six weeks without receiving any further.

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Hearts players have been in regular dialogue with their union, PFA Scotland, and had been poised to make a formal complaint to the Scottish Premier League on 3 November.

However, manager Paulo Sergio persuaded them to bide their time and within 24 hours their wages arrived, 19 days later than scheduled.

The current delay is now rivalling last month’s, but unless the players show a collective desire to group together and proceed with a complaint, little can be done, with the authorities not in a position to intervene.

Irrespective of whether a formal complaint is made, the case is complex and, without funds forthcoming, a resolution is difficult to find.

Should players go 90 days without payment, they would be entitled to invoke FIFA’s article 14 (breach of contract) and leave the club for nothing – a scenario Hearts would surely wish to avoid.

The club are expected to move a number of high-earning players on in January, although the situation could be complicated if the players were still owed money.

The waters are further muddied by the fact that Hearts are maintaining a long-running media lockout and the official website is the only channel of communication.

Sergio has regularly hinted at the off-field troubles, but is doing his best to concentrate on footballing matters.

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Earlier this week, he told Hearts TV: “Everybody knows we’re living hard times in the club, with their great character and great attitude last weekend we did enough to deserve to win (against Inverness).

“I think we can do better. I’m happy about the result, but I think we can play better football.”

Sergio will again watch from the stand this weekend, serving the third of a five-match suspension.

Also banned from the touchline is visiting manager Steve Lomas.

Available again following a three-match ban is Hearts midfielder Ian Black, but left-back Danny Grainger (groin), defender Darren Barr (groin), strikers Kevin Kyle and Gary Glen and midfielder Suso Santana remain out.

Lomas may be banned but he is relishing his trip to a “proper football ground” as his team look to continue their impressive away record.

Saints have only lost one game on the road this season, against Hibs, and have kept clean sheets in six away games.

They followed wins at Celtic and Motherwell with a draw at Ibrox in Lomas’ first game in charge and the Northern Irishman plans to silence the home fans at Tynecastle.

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The stadium is well known to Lomas, who held talks over joining Hearts in 2005 and the former Manchester City and West Ham midfielder said: “It’s a tough place to go, Tynecastle, what I would call a proper football ground - good atmosphere, good fans.

“I nearly signed for Hearts when George Burley was there so I know all about it. I was pretty close, but obviously there were things going on behind the scenes that I wasn’t aware of and it just never materialised. I ended up signing for QPR, which is a similar sort of place, with fans right on top of you. It’s not the biggest stadium but it creates a fantastic atmosphere.

“Hopefully we go to Tynecastle and silence them, that’s what we’re looking to do. The lads shouldn’t go there with any fear but you still have to do the right things and it’s good to have a few nerves.

“We take heart from the fact that we’ve been to difficult places and got results.”

Tynecastle also holds no fears for St Johnstone defender Dave Mackay.

The full-back said: “We’re sitting fourth and we’re there on merit, we’ve had some great results. Especially our away form, it’s been exceptional.

“Hearts are only one point behind us in the table, and it’s a tough place to go. But I always really enjoy playing at Tynecastle, there is a good atmosphere.

“Last year we went there and beat them in the cup and we’ve beaten them at home already this season.

“We’ve got nothing to fear tomorrow. It’s a game we’ll go into with a lot of confidence.”

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