Frozen-out Marian Kello has backing of Jim Jefferies

Hearts manager Jim Jefferies says Marian Kello can count on his full support amid suggestions that the goalkeeper has been undermined by club owner Vladimir Romanov.

It was reported yesterday that Romanov has questioned the professionalism of Kello over some performances even though the 28-year-old's recent rich vein of form has led to him earning his first two caps for Slovakia.

A back spasm was the initial reason behind Kello missing Hearts' last three games, but Jefferies has now admitted a "private matter" that is affecting the player's frame of mind needs to be resolved before he can be considered for a first-team recall.

Romanov has a history of interfering in first team affairs, most notably when players refuse the offer of the new contracts. Current captain Marius Zaliukas and Andy Webster - in his first stint at the club - were frozen out when they rejected fresh terms while Jose Goncalves was excluded when talks stalled over his future last season.

However, Kello has another year left of his current deal and Jefferies has dismissed suggestions that a contract dispute is the reason for the goalkeeper's absence.

Jefferies said: "The situation is a private matter, about a week after he was out with his back spasm there was a report or something which I discussed with Marian.

"He has my full support on anything he wants to do. We decided, with having chats about it, that he would rather get it cleared up.

"I hope he has a future at the club, of course he has.

"It's nothing to do with the Zaliukas situation at all, it's something private, internal.

"It's being looked at and I'm sure that it will be cleared up. I can't discuss the internal matter because there are legal things involved and it's not right to discuss (it).

"Hopefully it will sort itself out sooner rather than later because he is a terrific boy.

"We should be trying to support him rather than having anything negative about it.

"I think if that sort of thing is on his mind then he would not be in the right frame of mind, that's the reason he has been out the week after he had the back spasm.

"And when it is (cleared up), he'll be back in the team."

Jefferies faced a barrage of questions on the subject as he addressed the media yesterday morning ahead of tomorrow's first Clydesdale Bank SPL post-split clash with Motherwell.

Asked directly if Romanov was behind Kello's omission from the side, Jefferies replied: "I've gave you the thing and that's it. That's as far as I know. Marian and I have discussed it and the decision that we both came to was that it's better to get this cleared up before I consider him and Marian knows that.

"He's had an exceptional season and form-wise he would not be left out the team. He has been outstanding. I sort of agreed with it that he was a contender for player of the year, the boy has been magnificent."

Privately, Jefferies will undoubtedly see the off-field issue as an unwanted distraction as he looks to seal third place in the top-flight to gain automatic entry in next season's Europa League.

Goalkeeper Jamie MacDonald has benefitted from Kello's predicament, starting the last three games.

Jefferies added: "We are very fortunate that's we've got Jamie MacDonald and Janos Balogh that are exceptionally good goalkeepers so it's not disrupted us in anyway.

"It's about making sure Marian is in the right frame of mind when this is put to bed, that he's got that off his shoulders and he'll be back in the side."

Jefferies, however, is aware his problems are trivial compared to Neil Lennon's after it emerged earlier this week that a parcel bomb, that was intercepted, was sent to his Celtic counterpart.

He added: "It's dreadful. It must be an unbelievable thing to happen to Neil.

"I think he can take a lot of strength from the support he got at Rugby Park on Wednesday from the Celtic fans.

"That must have been tremendous for him. That sort of thing should not exist.

"You really wonder what the game is coming to when this type of thing happens.

"People use football to disrupt and cause a lot of grief in people's lives. It's not on and the quicker they catch these people the better for everyone.

"You get hassles and criticisms as a manager but bombs in the post? That's just unbelievable."