The fresh faces Hibs may blood as Jack Ross forced to shuffle against Brora Rangers

There is, Hibs admit, an element of risk in going for quality over quantity.
With Ofir Marciano busy on international business, with Israel, Dillon Barnes will start in goal for Hibernian against Brora Rangers tonight. Photo by Mark Scates - SNS GroupWith Ofir Marciano busy on international business, with Israel, Dillon Barnes will start in goal for Hibernian against Brora Rangers tonight. Photo by Mark Scates - SNS Group
With Ofir Marciano busy on international business, with Israel, Dillon Barnes will start in goal for Hibernian against Brora Rangers tonight. Photo by Mark Scates - SNS Group

In an ideal world there would be a degree of both but in these strange and financially-strained times, the decision was taken to invest what cash they had in high priority and, hopefully, high reward players.

With the transfer window now closed, it leaves manager Jack Ross with a squad he describes as lean. Those resources will be tested over the next week as his team play three League Cup games in six days, provided Forfar get the go-ahead to contest next Tuesday’s fixture after a player tested positive for coronavirus.

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Without Ofir Marciano, Ryan Porteous, Alex Gogic and Josh Doig due to international commitments, Joe Newell is also sidelined with the shoulder injury sustained in Friday night’s league victory over Hamilton while Scott Allan remains unavailable.

Those players have been integral to the club’s positive start to the season and although they will be missed, their absence affords others the opportunity to impress.

At the front of the queue when those chances are handed out, will be stand in goalkeeper Dillon Barnes, while latest signing Kyle Magennis will also get game time as he works at getting back up to speed following his cruciate ligament rehabilitation.

“Dillon has been brilliant. It is such a difficult one to get right when you are bringing in a loan goalkeeper who knows that Ofir is first choice. But he has been brilliant – his performance levels in training and just how he is a character and how well he has fitted into the group.

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“He knew when we signed him that he would play in these games so he knew he wouldn’t have long to wait for competitive action and I am looking forward to getting him on the pitch.”

The QPR loanee has impressed in bounce games but will make his competitive debut against Brora Rangers tonight.

Magennis is also expected to make his Hibs bow against the Highland League champions. His last competitive match was in January but the medical staff say he is ready to be plunged back in and having watched the midfielder in training over the past couple of days, manager Ross agrees.

Against lesser opponents, the Easter Road management also plan to rotate in a bid to give fringe players such as Darren McGregor, David Gray, Steve Mallan, and Melker Hellberg a way to hone match fitness, while youngsters such as Jamie Gullan and Ryan Shanley will also feature.

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“It’s not that we aren’t taking the competition seriously, because it is a huge competition for us,” said Ross. “We are without four players for a start and we have got important league games in the aftermath so there is an opportunity to use all our players.

“We have a group and I keep talking about them, saying how good they have been and they have, so I am excited about seeing a lot of them on the pitch.

“The challenge is keeping them at the right conditioning level and these games will mean that a lot of them will get valuable minutes under their belt and hopefully it will leave them in a better position for when we need them. Because, we will, undoubtedly, need them over the course of the season.”

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