Heart of Midlothian face Europa League play-off uncertainty
Heart of Midlothian are 4-0 behind on aggregate in their Champions League second round qualifying tie against Sturm Graz and are likely to drop into the third round of Europa League qualifying.
What happened?
All five Scottish teams in European competitions have opted to postpone their Premiership matches scheduled for Saturday, 22 August. The qualifying play-offs for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League will take place across two legs, either side of the weekend affected.
Why it matters for Heart of Midlothian
Heart of Midlothian' fate in the Europa League play-offs is uncertain as they trail Sturm Graz 4-0 on aggregate. If they beat Sturm Graz on aggregate and then lose in the third round of Champions League qualifying, they would directly enter the Europa League league phase.
What comes next?
Rearranged games will be played in midweek - on either 8/9 or 15/16 September. Falkirk v Heart of Midlothian will be postponed if Heart of Midlothian are involved in a play-off.
Heart of Midlothian' manager will be looking to his team to bounce back from their 4-0 aggregate deficit against Sturm Graz. The team's chances of avoiding a play-off in the Europa League are slim, but they will be hoping to cause an upset in the third round of qualifying.
In other news, Motherwell and Hibernian are in the middle of their Conference League second round qualifying ties and their league matches will only be postponed should they reach the play-offs. Motherwell are 2-0 up on aggregate against Faroese side HB, while Hibs lost the first leg by the same scoreline against Kosovan outfit Malisheva.
The postponed Premiership matches will be rearranged for midweek, with the exact dates to be confirmed. Heart of Midlothian fans will be eagerly awaiting the outcome of their team's Champions League qualifying tie against Sturm Graz, and the potential implications for their Europa League play-off fate.
