Robbie Neilson will have to watch Hearts’ Scottish Cup clash with Hibernian from the stand after being hit with a two-match touchline ban.
It has emerged that Neilson would have missed the trip to Easter Road even before his red card against St Mirren last Friday. The 42-year-old accumulated his fourth yellow card of the season in the previous game, the 1-1 draw with St Mirren in Paisley on January 7, to earn an automatic one-game suspension.
That is due to kick in on Saturday - 14 days later - and just in time for the eagerly-awaited Edinburgh derby encounter with Hibs. However, Neilson’s red card from the Jambos’ second meeting with the Buddies has landed him the offer of another one-match censure, which the Tynecastle club have accepted. That means he will also sit out the trip to face Livingston at Almondvale a week on Sunday.
The Scottish FA said: “This suspension will apply to the first match following Robbie Neilson’s existing one-match suspension, incurred for an accumulation of four cautions, which is to be served in the first fixture after 21 January, 2023."
Neilson also incurred a touchline ban last season when he sat out three matches following a red card against Rangers at Ibrox. That punishment included two games suspended from the previous campaign.
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