Levein dreads star forward could be sidelined
CRAIG LEVEIN expressed fears that Hearts could be without yesterday’s match-winner Uche Ikpeazu for big league and cup dates looming in the next fortnight.
The Tynecastle manager was anxiously waiting for a full medical report on Ikpeazu, who was stretchered off with a head knock suffered in an aerial challenge with Aberdeen defender Dominic Ball.
The incident took place soon after the Englishman’s 77th-minute winner.
‘He is a bit dazed,’ reported Levein. ‘I think he hit his head on the turf when he landed. I don’t know. That is what I saw; maybe there was a clash of heads as well.
‘If he is out for the coming games it will be a concern for us. I think there is protocol to follow now but I think it depends if he’s been “out”. We just have to wait and see. The medical team are dealing with it.’
Ikpeazu was a handful for Scott McKenna and Andrew Considine before his enforced withdrawal and Levein said: ‘I thought Uche’s play was fantastic under what I thought was a lot of provocation.
‘The two Aberdeen centre-backs were struggling to cope with him. One of them was holding onto him and the other one would win the header.
‘It happened I don’t know how many times in the match, all afternoon really.’
Sean Clare, who equalised from the penalty spot for Hearts, added: ‘(Uche) came back into the changing room and he was jogging about, he kept saying: “It is 2-1, 2-1”. He is a bit worse for wear but he will be alright, he is with the right people.’
Dons boss Derek McInnes was unhappy at how his men let Hearts come back from a goal down.
‘First half we looked like a team used to travelling the country and imposing ourselves on the game,’ he said. ‘We had strength, confidence, deserved to get the first goal — everything about it was what I wanted.
‘But (Jake) Mulraney should never have got the chance to go that far into our final third without a challenge to win a penalty. And Ikpeazu caused us more problems in the second half, never more so than the second goal.
‘We were firmly in charge of the situation but allowed him to score from a long straight ball — good centre-forward play, poor defending. He shouldn’t get the opportunity.’