Hibs boss' signing search could go '˜right to the wire'

And, with the Edinburgh club eight points clear at the top of the Championship, Lennon believes now is the time to strengthen his squad to boost their title bid.

Although Hibs are perceived to have the strongest squad in the league, Lennon insisted it was, in fact, a “bit thin”, claiming he only had 19 fit players at his disposal for Saturday’s 1-0 victory against Queen of the South.

Celtic midfielder Kris Commons, who enjoyed a 28-day emergency loan in the Capital – scoring two vital winning goals against Falkirk and Dumbarton – remains very much in Lennon’s sights but he is also looking elsewhere.

He said: “It could go right to the wire. I would like to bring at least one more body into the squad. It’s a bit thin. Everyone goes on telling me we have strength in depth but it’s light.

“We only had 19 fit players at Dumfries. A few injuries and we’d have to dig into the academy team so it’s important we bring another one in, but it has to be the right one, not just for the sake of it. It could possibly still be Kris, but we are looking in a number of areas. We’ve got ourselves a nice lead but, as a manager, you are always cautious. I always feel when you are in a position of strength you should strengthen and that’s what we want to do.

“I would like to bolster the squad, if I could, for the next 14 games.”

Lennon, however, admitted he is facing the possibility of losing Paul Hanlon for an unspecified period with the central defender potentially needing surgery to cure the pelvic problem which has sidelined him for the last three matches. He said: “Paul has had a wee setback. He had a cortisone injection a couple of weeks ago and had gone through his rehab. But he just felt something go again in his pelvic area so he may need surgery now, which could keep him out for not too long.”