Collins blasts SFA friendly games

John Collins will lose players ahead of the match against Hearts

Hibernian manager John Collins has criticised the Scottish Football Association for arranging two Under-20 friendlies in Canada later this month.

Andy McNeil, Steven Fletcher and Kevin McCann have been called into the squad to the games on 24 and 27 March - five days before Hibs face Hearts.

"It's far from ideal halfway through the season," said Collins. "I'd rather they weren't travelling such distance.

"I don't know why they chose Canada - and the west coast at that."

The first match is in Bunaby and the second in Victoria.

It is designed to give the young Scots experience of Canadian conditions as they prepare for the summer's Under-20 World Cup.

"It's a long way to go for friendly matches and they shouldn't be going that far," Collins told the Edinburgh Evening News.

Scotland will play their opening two World Cup group matches against Japan, on 1 July, and Nigeria in Victoria, before taking on Costa Rica in Burnaby.