The truth about Hearts’ termination of Alex Lowry’s loan was today exposed as Philippe Clement confirmed the real reason the Gorgie side returned the playmaker:

He’s injured and is now out for two months.

Yes, Lowry was injured in training at Hearts, and now finds himself out potentially till April, meaning he was absolutely no use to Steven Naismith’s side so they terminated the loan and sent him back.

Clement has already confirmed he didn’t want Lowry back, and not only are there alleged issues with the attacker’s attitude, but he would have cost Hearts cash in recuperation and medical, and they weren’t interested in treating someone else’s player.

It ended the loan – they sent him back, and get this:

They actually duped Rangers by not telling the Ibrox side the extent of the injury when sending him back, meaning Rangers now cannot loan Lowry out to get minutes.

This means he will be in Rangers B for the rest of the season and will only be called upon by Clement to the seniors if we hit a massive injury crisis in attacking midfield.

Which is not impossible, admittedly.

The problem is Lowry is miles down Rangers’ pecking order – Clement isn’t interested in him as a player, not right now anyway, and is now stuck with a player he doesn’t want to use, and who’s just taking space up on the treatment room.

Clement takes no prisoners. He will support players who earn the right, who show professionalism and commitment, which reports claim Lowry hasn’t done.

And ergo the boss has no sympathy for Lowry’s current plight, and is lumbered with him not only injured for two months, but for the rest of the season.

It’s not ideal, and that’s exactly what Clement himself says.

It also was far from ideal from Hearts to keep quiet on his injury until Rangers learned it ourselves.

Not a great move for club relations there, Mr Hearts…