Odel Offiah missed Rangers clash after Hearts loanee suffered ‘another health scare’

Odel Offiah missed Hearts' 3-1 Hampden Park loss to Rangers with a second health scare - two months after suffering a similar fright.

Offiah joined the Jambos on loan in mid-August from Brighton and Hove Albion, and he started life superbly in the capital by scoring on his home debut against Partick Thistle in a 4-0 Viaplay Cup win. But he was forced to miss out on their eventual route to Hampden after being taken ill at the club's Riccarton training ground towards the end of last week, ruling him out of the crunch clash at the national stadium.

Edinburgh Evening News reports that Offiah was taken off the training ground whilst preparations for the semi-final were ongoing, with tests being taken to mend his situation before being given the all-clear. Though Offiah didn't feature for the Jambos, he was in the stands as Rangers swept Hearts aside to set up a final shootout with Aberdeen.

It's the latest scare for the defender, who initially returned to Brighton from Hearts in early September after picking up a medical issue and falling ill in training before being taken to hospital. Since the original scare, Offiah has only played in four league games under Steven Naismith since with just two starts in that time period; and with the international break approaching, it gives more time to analyse the situation.

It's reportedly hoped that Offiah will return to the fold over the next week, with Brighton keeping an eye on his development and monitoring from afar. Adam Forrester took his place in the match day squad, with the 18-year-old being an unused substitute at right-back after being promoted from the B-team.