Play the Cup to a finish

the 2020/21 campaign. Celtic are due to play Aberdeen in the other last-four showdown.

The matches were planned for April only to be scrapped indefinitely due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Asked about thi s season’s competition, Petrie said: “The Scottish Cup must be played to a completion. We’re hopeful.

“But we don’t feel a pressure of time as to when it will happen. It will be in line with medical advice, social distancing and any other restrictions in place.

“But it’s the commitment of the SFA to play out our showpiece competition.

“And it’s important when we get to that point, we get supporters into Hampden Park for those three games.

“But we need to be openminded enough to look at all considerat ions (including Murrayfield).

“It may be the risk of 50,000 people travelling f rom Edinburgh to Glasgow is outweighed by other measures.

“But equally we need to do it in a manner that is fundamenta l ly sa fe, creates a spectacle and provides some income for the participating clubs.”

Petrie also doesn’t want the remaining ties played behind closed doors.

He said: “Having fans there is the only thing that makes them meaningful – it adds to the colour.

“I’d rather wait to a point where we can get them into the stadium and give them a day they were expecting.

“There’s no pressure of time. We can make whatever adjustments we need to the SFA regulations to get it played.”

The downside for Hibs and Hearts is that if the c ompe t i t ion isn’ t completed by the start of next season, they won’t have a chance to earn a place in the Europa League.

UEFA have written to the SFA asking them to give the competition’s Euro spot to highest- ranked teams based on league positions.

That would mean Rangers picking it up and starting in the second qua l i f y ing round . Aberdeen and Motherwell, third and fourth in the Premiership, fill the other slots – with the Edinburgh sides missing out.