Hearts boss Gary Locke was dealt a double blow with the news that he is to lose his assistant Billy Brown following hot on the heels of the SFA decision to keep the club’s transfer embargo in place.
Brown will leave his role at the end of this week, ending his third spell at the stricken capital club.
Brown, 63, joined the Tynecastle club on a voluntary basis following their descent into administration in the close season and was subsequently rewarded with a contract until the new year, with Locke stating at the time: “To have him as a shoulder to lean on is a huge help.”
However, that deal will not be renewed and he will take his place in the dugout for the final time on Saturday when the Jambos host St Johnstone.
Academy director Robbie Neilson will carry out assistant manager duties on an interim basis after the weekend.
Earlier in the day, the SFA ruled out any clemency on sanctions imposed on Hearts but chief executive Stewart Regan revealed talks were under way to help prevent more clubs finding themselves in financial trouble.
Hearts made several calls for a relaxation of the transfer restrictions they have been placed under to relieve the physical burden on their young players.
Locke, whose team are 20 points adrift in the Scottish Premiership, has not been able to fill his bench in recent games and saw his options further reduced this week after midfielder Jamie Walker was ruled out for 10 weeks with a broken foot, prompting the club to claim they might not be able to field a team at some stage.
Regan insisted there was no way that sanction would be lifted early.
He said: “You have to feel sorry for the position that those players are in and the position the club finds itself in.
“It’s always difficult when you see a club going through a period like Hearts have gone through.
“However, you have to balance that with applying the rules and that’s the job of the Scottish FA, to apply the rules.”