Zaliukas was sent off against Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Tuesday

Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo is ready to offer Marius Zaliukas help in managing his anger following the defender's fourth red card of the season.

The 25-year-old faces a five-match ban after lashing out at Aberdeen's Chris Maguire in Tuesday's goalless Scottish Premier League draw at Pittodrie.

Laszlo said: "We must talk about this with him at the end of the season because he has to change his attitude.

"He is a talented player, but we need players to have discipline."

Zaliukas, who last week signed a new contract with Hearts, has already been suspended for 13 games in the last year.

"It's difficult to speak about what we will do until the season is over," said Laszlo.

"Then we will sit down and discuss his personality, his attitude and how we can help in the future.

The club has stayed behind Marius, but now he must show character to take our help Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo

"It is not acceptable to have so many red cards."

The Lithuanian's latest loss of control could land his club an £80,000 fine from the Scottish Football Association.

"After he was sent off against Falkirk for punching a player, he came to me saying he was disappointed with his attitude and he apologised to the team, the sport director and everybody for losing his head," said his manager.

"But now he has done the same again - he lost his head, his brain, his discipline. We must look to help him, not only punish him, so he doesn't do it ever again.

"We can't always just tell him he will be punished. Now we have to do something special.

"He must stop making the same mistakes. The club has stayed behind Marius, but now he must show character to take our help."

Laszlo is especially disappointed as it means that his side will be without an important player for the final two matches of the season as they attempt to clinch third spot in the SPL.

"We have important matches to play this season and we cannot split our attention in two or three ways," he said.

"The referee at Aberdeen told me that Zaliukas was sent off for violent conduct, so I must believe him.

"A five-game suspension is very bad. It is painful for everybody, not just him.

"We don't have many centre-halves for the game against Dundee United on Saturday. The squad is not huge."

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