 Hearts midfielder David Obua will play in today's game against Celtic and then prepare for an operation on Monday. He has been troubled by a groin injury for most of the season and has been putting off going under the knife to help Hearts' bid for a Europa League qualification place. All those hopes ended on Wednesday but the Uganda international said: "I have had the problem with my groin for most of the season. I have managed to get through with some painkillers and the help of our physio. Having the surgery during the season would have meant me missing two months of the campaign, but now I have the summer to recover."The surgery also prevented Obua from returning home to attend the funeral of his father, who died last weekend. He said: "It was so sad what happened to my father and I'll go home and pay my respects as soon as I am able to. The good thing is a lot of my family are there to support my mum just now and that is the important thing." Meanwhile, fellow Hearts midfielder Laryea Kingston has made it into Ghana's provisional World Cup squad. Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac has named 30 players in his initial squad, with the final list being announced at the start of June. The 29-year-old had fallen out of favour under previous Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo during an injury-plagued season but has been a regular starter under Jim Jeffries. Kingston said: "Obviously, I am very happy to see my name included and I have to give all the credit to Jim Jefferies. This is the biggest tournament for my country and it would be a dream to play in South Africa. I am fit and have been enjoying my football at Hearts under Jim. Without Jim's help, I think my chances of being in South Africa with the national team would have been under threat." |