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"It may be coincidence that we've had good results before after these situations," the Hearts captain said. "But I don't see any problems inside the team. Everyone is working hard and trying their best."

Zaliukas hopes no further action is taken against the club when the Scottish Premier League board tomorrow consider the latest late payment of wages. With Hearts already subject to a transfer embargo for a similar incident last month, the board – comprising chairman Ralph Topping, chief executive Neil Doncaster, secretary Iain Blair, Eric Riley of Celtic, Kilmarnock's Michael Johnston, Stephen Thompson of Dundee United and Aberdeen's Duncan Fraser – have it in their power to impose further sanctions under new regulations introduced in May. However, Zaliukas, one of the six who suffered the shortfall, feels any further action would be counterproductive.

"To be punished with all these sanctions for being a couple of days late is unwise. The wages have been paid. It's a couple of days – not weeks or months," the 28-year-old said. "We players are trying to do our best on the pitch to get points. Off the pitch is not our decision. Everyone has talked about it in the dressing room and they all have their own opinions, but for me personally, it's more important to get back to the top of the table and get results in every game."

Such financial turmoil was a regular feature at the club last season, as players received their money late four months in a row, but the team managed to produce some of their best football amid such uncertainty. But this is a new Hearts team – McGlynn said last week the club are in the midst of their biggest rebuilding job for decades – and Zaliukas is confident results will come.

"We're going to get back up the table," he said. "It is still very early in the season. Of course I'm surprised how Hibs have done after the last two seasons, but we're not thinking about them or bothered about that. We just look at ourselves and we'll get back to where we belong."

Zaliukas and his central defensive partner Andy Webster must contend with one of the in-form strikers in the SPL in Michael Higdon, but the Lithuanian is looking forward to it.

"I've played against him for about six years now and he's always up amongst the top scorers in the SPL," Zaliukas said. "But I prefer to play against strikers like him than against small, quick strikers. It's going to be a good fight against each other. But I'm not bothered about which striker I play. I just try to do my best on a personal basis and for the team."

McGlynn played down the late wages row, even if it has cost him the chance to sign Rudi Skacel, who is training with the club. He also hopes the turmoil could bring people together.

"Everyone is paid and there were only a few that had to wait," McGlynn said. "It was remarkable how the Hearts players were able to win games last year when they were not getting paid. The management must have done a tremendous job to keep them focused through long spells of not getting paid. They had a lot of behind-the-scenes upheaval and everyone was involved. I am hoping in some way that this also brings our players closer and they fight for one another even more. But I have no complaints in that department, they have been working really hard in training and they have a great attitude."

Motherwell – who had a total wage bill of £1.7 million last season, less than Celtic's spend on their youth policy – are a good model for what Hearts could look like post-restructure.

"There are ways you can build a squad without having fortunes," McGlynn said. "St Johnstone have five or six strikers while we have one or two and trying to make more."

It wasn't just Scotland players who are returning from international duty. Zaliukas' Lithuanian adventure saw them beat Liechtenstein in Vaduz but go down to Bosnia in Zenica. At least, with four points, Csaba Laszlo's side have two more than Scotland. "He [Laszlo] is the same as he was at Hearts," said Zaliukas. "He likes to talk."