Hearts' season begins in two days when they host FC Inf0net Tallinn in the first round of Europa League qualifiers.
Surprisingly not. The coach sounds like a bit of a ball-buster...I have a newfound admiration for the guy now.
I would hope that they give him a couple weeks after this, though. Even a short break, two weeks of free time, can improve a players mental health. This is the sort of thing that really forces players to drop national team appearances.
Keep in mind, Kitchen isn't coming off a traditional European season. He had his normal offseason in the winter before he made the move to Hearts in March. It's not like he had a 35+ appearance season immediately followed by the Copa. He's only been training extensively for four months. Should be okay.
The Scottish team's head coach Robbie Neilson did confirm to the Edinburgh Evening News on Tuesday that Kitchen will indeed be in the squad for the team's Europa League qualifier at home against Estonian club FC Infonet Tallinn on Thursday night. "Perry will arrive back on Wednesday and he'll go straight into the squad. I've no fears about fatigue or anything with him," Neilson confirmed. http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=shortcorner&entry=478
And DCU fans will know, Kitchen is kind of INTENSE there is now way he will want to miss the Europa League qualifier, no way in hell
Looks like he will play, in an update on the link above: Indeed, Kitchen is likely to be involved at some stage tomorrow despite only arriving back in Scotland this morning from the Copa America. He didn’t play for the USA but should get some much-needed game time for Hearts. “He’ll definitely be part of it. Whether he starts or not I don’t know, but he’ll definitely be on the bench,” says Neilson. Read more: http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.c...t-challenge-of-europe-1-4164408#ixzz4CzZmX5jF
Outside of our NTers in MLS, I can't think of another player who's that integral to their side that they'd be inserted back in the team after arriving a day before.
Someone did some really deep research and found Will John and Martin Ontiveros: https://samsminiarmy.wordpress.com/...wu-news-mario-rodriguez-transfers-to-dresden/