Hibs boss Jack Ross: We need to treat Covid-19 cases like injuries

Hibs boss sympathises with St Mirren but says games have to go ahead

Jack Ross is keen for games to be played even if teams are missing players through coronavirus-related issues

Hibs head coach Jack Ross believes games should go ahead regardless of how many players are ruled out with coronavirus-related issues.

The Easter Road side travels to Paisley on Saturday to take on a St Mirren team missing three goalkeepers after two tested positive for Covid-19 and a third was deemed to be at risk of incubating the virus.

Speaking ahead of the Scottish Premiership clash, Ross sympathised with the dilemma facing his opposite number Jim Goodwin but suggested that players missing matches as a result of self-isolation or testing positive for the virus was no different to clubs being without squad members through injury or illness.

Ross said: "If you look at players being unavailable then it shouldn’t be any different from normal circumstances where a player is unavailable due to food poisoning or a sickness bug, flu, hamstring injury, whatever.

"If you are without five players then you get on with it. That happens.

"From a football point of view, once we know there is no risk from a health point of view, I don’t see why it should be any different to being without players through illness or injury."

Pointing out that pre-Covid, one or two players being ruled out through injury wouldn't have a major impact on a team's ability to contest a match, Ross continued: "I don’t know how many times in recent history a game has been postponed because players were unavailable.

"There have maybe been a couple of occasions whereby a sickness bug has swept through a squad but very, very rarely would you have a game postponed because of a lack of players.

“There have been times where I have had a lot of players to choose from but also times where I started to get down to low numbers. All that does is hand an opportunity to younger players.

"But things are maybe a bit more complicated at the moment. If you lose players from your squad, there are young players who aren’t being tested and are training outwith your bubble. They then can’t be considered for selection.

"Normally they would be given an opportunity but that can’t happen if they haven’t been tested in time.

"These are the kind of complications to consider."

The Capital club had their own experience with the virus after Alex Gogic was instructed to self-isolate for ten days after a routine test produced a result that "required further investigation".

The Cypriot midfielder was tested a further two times, returning negative results, but was still told to complete the isolation period.

Ross was vocal in his displeasure at the lack of clarity surrounding the situation after the 26-year-old was forced to miss Hibs' 1-0 defeat at home to Aberdeen on August 30.

Ross explained: "It was more around the differences between what might be perceived to be a negative or positive test, the levels etc.

"But that’s more of a medical aspect. At the time, I was just making sure exactly where we stood. It’s done now.

"It would be wrong for me to say we know exactly what to do every time. There will be situations we can't prepare for.

“I think it’s just about making sure everyone understands it completely."