Preston North End forward Milutin Osmajic’s lack of discipline is “totally unacceptable”, boss Paul Heckingbottom has said after he was sent off in their Championship defeat by Hull City.
The Montenegro international was shown red in the final seconds of Tuesday’s 3-0 home loss for a headbutt on John Lundstram after the pair had come together after a foul.
Now facing a three-game ban, the incident continues a run of ill-discipline during his time with the Lilywhites, having previously been banned for eight games for biting Blackburn’s Owen Beck and later being given a nine-match ban for racially abusing Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri.
“A lack of discipline is totally unacceptable. In my time here, if he gets three games for that, that will be 20 games missed,” Heckingbottom told BBC Radio Lancashire.
“They are different issues, don’t get me wrong, but being sent off for a tackle and helping the team is a lot different.”
A melee ensued in the aftermath of Osmajic’s red card which saw Preston coach Peter Murphy and Hull goalkeeping coach Erbil Bozkurt dismissed.
Asked whether he was let down by Osmajic, Heckingbottom added: “He has. He’s not cost us the game but we’ve got three big games coming up and we’re a striker down.”
When asked in a follow-up question whether Osmajic was now running out of chances, Heckingbottom continued: “The issues are totally unconnected in terms of football.
“But in terms of other things, they’re professional footballers and there’s a way to act, regardless of if that’s a tackle on the pitch, discipline away from the training ground – there’s a way to be professional.”
