Craig Levein has asked the SPFL to change their rules because he has three players suspended for Sunday’s match at Kilmarnock.
The boot-boy tactics of the Jambos combined with the state of the pitch at Tynecastle has caught up with the former Scotland boss for the final match of the season which is completely meaningless.
Bleating to STV Levein explained: “I’ve brought a list (of injuries) because the first thing I have to say is that I don’t know if I’ve got a team to put on the field.
“With suspensions and injuries it looks like I’ve got 15 fit players and three of them are goalies. That’s the whole squad.
“Steven Naismith is suspended, as are Christophe Berra and Michael Smith. Demetri Mitchell, Danny Amankwaa and Joaquim Adao (are injured). So there’s six players from the other night who are unavailable.”
Levein added: “I’ve got four development loans who are out just now who I would like to use but obviously we need to get the okay from the league. We’re in the process of dealing with that just now.
“The ones who are on development loan can play in the under-20s but by the rules they’re not allowed to play in the first team.
“The question will be ‘Can you let us bring them back so we’ve at least got players on the bench?'”
Having failed to properly plan and discipline his squad requirements the Hearts boss wants to change the goalposts.
In the unlikely event that he is given permission it will give four younger players invaluable top flight experience and open the door for other clubs to create sob stories.
Last season Hearts refused to contest the SFA decision to award Sevco a UEFA licence despite clear evidence that the Ibrox club had broken the Financial Fair Play rules for debt.