Can Hibs favourite repeat flag-flying derby heroics? Gaffer teases 'potential' return for Hearts clash

Hibs could have flag-waving fan favourite Elie Youan back in club colours for this weekend’s Edinburgh derby, with Easter Road boss David Gray teasing a “potential” return for the French attacker. Youan hasn’t played since the Boxing Day win at Tynecastle.

The toe injury he picked up in that 2-1 victory over Hearts wasn’t enough to prevent him from leading wild post-match celebrations, including using a corner pole and his jersey to create an improvised Hibs flag that he waved in front of away fans – despite the best efforts of one Gorgie steward. Youan has been back in training this week, although Gray says he’s unlikely to face Dundee United at Tannadice tonight.

The gaffer said: “He's trained, yeah, so he's trained the last couple of days as well. Trained this morning and topped him up after that, so we don't really know about availability for Dundee United.

“I think it's probably more likely going to be looking towards the end of the week just because of how long he's been out. But that's him nearly done two or three sessions fully with the group now, which is positive, full contact stuff as well.

"I don't know exactly the length of time he's been out, but it's probably about eight, nine weeks since the last time he was on the pitch, so he can't be rushing players back too quickly. He needs to get that bank of work into him before he can be available, but he is moving very positively in the right direction."

Asked if Youan could be fit to face Hearts at Easter Road on Sunday, Gray said: “Potentially. There's obviously a lot of things can happen between now and then. He's trained the last couple of days with no real reaction, and he needs to then, having trained today, see how he reacts to that, and see if we can keep pushing him on safely.”

Club captain felt pain in warm-up ahead of famous Celtic victory

Rocky Bushiri is expected to be fit for tonight’s game, which gives Hibs the chance to overtake United and climb into fourth place in the Scottish Premiership, despite the central defender limping out after making a crucial goal-line clearance in Sunday’s stunning home win over reigning champions Celtic.

"With Rocky it was more a sort of cramping sensation that he had, so that's really positive from that front,” said Gray. “You could see it when he was running back for when he cleared it off the line, the way he was running, so full credit for him for getting back on the line and making that big interception. He's available, he's trained the last two days, which is positive.”

Offering some more insight on the injury that has sidelined Joe Newell just as the club captain appeared ready to return from groin surgery, Gray revealed that the midfielder – named among the substitutes for the Celtic match - had actually felt the problem during the warm-up, saying: “Well, I think it was initially that, and then he's tried to do a wee bit extra after the game and could feel it, so just one of those unfortunate things. It's a completely separate injury, which is really one of the extremely frustrating ones when you think about all the things he's been through to get to where he is now.

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“But thankfully, his actual original injury itself is really strong and really in a good place, which he's not feeling at all now, which he's had felt for the majority of the season, to be honest. Even when he was playing at the early parts of the season, he was really feeling an area on his pubis bone, so that was really restricting him.

"That's all healed, and everything's went in the right direction on that front, so that's really positive. In the extra couple of weeks, as much as it'll feel like a huge blow to him and us, clearly, it does still give him time to work on that area and get stronger in different areas as well, but this is a separate injury. They're saying a couple of weeks at max, probably, which is frustrating."

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