HEARTS manager Csaba Laszlo will hold urgent talks with Laryea Kingston after the injured midfielder travelled almost 4,000 miles to Ghana for tonight's international friendly against Tunisia.
Kingston has missed Hearts' last five games with a thigh problem, but the Ghanaian Football Association wanted their own doctors to examine him.
Laszlo said: "If Larry is back, we must talk about this issue. I know he is in Ghana and I am surpr
ised. The player is injured. He can't play for his national team. He has a letter; the medical staff from Ghana would like to see him, but he can't play. Heart of Midlothian have medical staff who do a good job."
Laszlo insists Kingston will not be involved in Saturday's Clydesdale Bank Premier League match against Falkirk.
He said: "Larry will definitely not play in my team. He cannot come back so quickly. I don't know when he will be fit. He was getting treatment in our medical department. He tried to come back, but he told us he was injured.
"He had the invitation from the football federation of Ghana – and if you receive this letter, your club cannot refuse to release you. We released Larry, but if the player is injured and he would like to come back quickly, this is not the best way.
"This is a friendly game for Ghana, not an official game. You are injured and you lose a lot of time. You are sitting in the airport or on an aeroplane – you are not receiving treatment. This is not what I want and this is not professional."
Kingston has not featured for Hearts since the 1-1 draw with Hibs at Easter Road on 19 October. It was hoped he would be fit for the visit of Celtic to Tynecastle earlier this month, but the 28-year-old missed that defeat and the subsequent victories over St Mirren, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Hamilton Academical.
The midfielder also missed three months last season due to a combination of injury and Ghana's participation in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Meanwhile, injury-hit Hearts striker Mike Tullberg could make his return against Rangers next week.
Laszlo has revealed the Danish forward, who has made just two appearances since joining on loan from Reggina because of a persistent thigh problem, is likely to resume full first-team training this week.
"I am very happy about this," said Laszlo. "I hope this means we have very few players injured. If Tullberg is back, then this gives us a bit extra and more options for us to think about."
Laszlo is also considering pairing Tullberg with Christian Nade in a two-pronged attack.
"We have not seen him together with Christian Nade, because they have not been both fit at the same time. However, this is something we will consider," said Laszlo, who hopes Tullberg can have a similar effect to Bruno Aguiar following the latter's recent return from injury.
"I hope Mike can come back and make the same impact as Bruno. If he does then he would bring a fresh impulse up front."
The full article contains 528 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
