Hibs in Fantasy Football land with strongest XI - why boss Reedijk will be dreaming of Rocky Bushiri comeback
Depth chart gives new manager options despite injury pile-up in defence
It can feel a bit like playing Fantasy Football. An exercise in imagining some perfect world a couple of hundred light years removed from current reality, with its injury crises and selection cul-de-sacs.
But you just know that, somewhere in his packed schedule, Hibs manager Marink Reedijk will allow himself to dream of a day when he has everyone – absolutely everyone – fully fit and firing on all cylinders. It’s then that his thoughts will turn to that mythical, mystical, only rarely realised concept of his strongest XI.
Six defenders out injured - but one missed more than most
With SIX defenders currently out injured, the very idea might seem a little way off, although at least three of the guys out of training at the moment are close to full recovery. The fact that Rocky Bushiri is even back on the grass – as first revealed by The Evening News last week - so soon after his World Cup-wrecking Achilles’ tendon injury in the final game of last season is also a positive sign.
There are gaps in the squad that should be filled soon enough, with the arrival of Colton Swan from Charleston Battery at least giving Reedijk another option at centre forward. And there is always the potential for one more thing – a torn ligament, illness, loss of form or the sudden availability of a crackerjack signing – to drive straight through the carefully laid plans of sporting director Malky Mackay and his staff.
In an ideal situation, though, how does the Hibs depth chart stack up? Who couldn’t be shifted from the starting XI with dynamite, and which squad members will have to step up to earn more game time? Let’s take a look.
An easy choice at No. 1
Starting with the obvious, Raphael Sallinger is the first-choice goalkeeper. Jordan Smith is the veteran back-up, with highly-fancied Freddie Owens filling the No. 3 slot. No need to change anything here, barring disaster.
Fullbacks? How many do you need …
Hibs are, on paper, not short of guys able to play at both left and right back. Felix Passlack’s injury status pending, the new captain is obvious first choice on one side of the back four. But Alex Williams looked solid in his first proper outing, coming off the bench early in the trouncing of Aberdeen. And Kanayo Megwa is an option, when fit.
Over on the left, the return to fitness of Jordan Obita might be a significant bonus for Hibs. More of a natural attacking threat than Adam Mayor or Jack Iredale, both of whom have filled the slot under Reedijk, he also brings experience and nous to the role.
Central defence needs Rocky
Marko Ivezic has improved with virtually every outing in a Hibs jersey. Which is encouraging, given how long he spent simply waiting to get healthy after arriving late in the summer transfer window.
If he’s a shoo-in on the left side of the central defence, there is at least some debate over the best candidate to partner the Serbian. Jason Kerr appears to have settled into the role after a rocky spell early in Reedijk’s time at the helm, the former St Johnstone star developing a better understanding of what is required under new management. And Grant Hanley brings all the experience you’d ever need, as an option.
But everybody is waiting for Bushiri to come back. Assuming he hasn’t lost any of his athleticism or pace, the clever and perceptive Democratic Republic of Congo defender – who learned his football in Belgium, where he moved as a very young child - should fit perfectly into the new set-up being put in place by former SK Beveren boss Reedijk.
A midfield mix ‘n’ match
Miguel Chaiwa has been described by his manager as the ‘vacuum cleaner’ at the heart of this Hibs midfield. And that’s a fairly accurate description of a 22-year-old who is developing into everything you’d want from a modern No. 6.
Chaiwa’s versatility means he can fill other roles, should Jacob Devaney – on loan from Manchester United and still just 19 – make enormous strides now that he’s back from injury and suspension. But it’s hard to see past the Zambian international as the rock upon which Reedijk builds his midfield.
Just a few weeks ago, you would have found any bookmaker in the land offering long odds against Joe Newell cementing his place in the Hibs starting XI. But the former club captain, now in his eighth season and on a contract that expires at the end of the current campaign, is playing as well as he ever has done in green and white.
He’s helped by playing alongside Jamie McGrath, an inventive playmaker who is hitting his stride after returning from another niggling injury. Keeping the Irishman fit will be a priority.
There are others who can fit into more attacking midfield roles, with Josh Mulligan’s switch to a sort of hybrid right-central role one of the more interesting tweaks carried out in recent weeks. You’d have to think Reedijk will continue finding a way to get the Scotland hopeful into the starting XI.
Callum Wright’s return to fitness also provides good competition. Azeem Abdulai … well, he still has everything to prove.
Final third threat
Out wide, Hibs aren’t short of options, with Mulligan and Martin Boyle the current starters on right and left, respectively. But Nicky Cadden is making himself harder to ignore, while Rabbi Matondo will probably benefit from a bounce game during the international break. Ante Suto’s claims appear to have faded in recent weeks.
In the starting striker position, there’s no doubt that Owen Elding is the best fit and available option. Even though it’s not his best role; Reedijk will fit him in elsewhere as soon as he has a more natural No. 9.
Even when fit, Nathan Lowe still has plenty to prove. Club record signing Thibault Klidje is a different sort of line leader. Maybe towering teenage American Swan, when he arrives from Charleston Battery, will be an option?