Hibs gaffer's pride in Celtic loanee's World Cup call-up as crocked stars return to training

Hibs boss David Gray believes the latest World Cup call-up earned by one his players proves the club’s ability to deliver on individual career aspirations. And the gaffer could have one established international star – plus his club captain – back in action for Saturday’s return to Easter Road.

South Korea national team boss Hong Myung-bo cited midfielder Hyeokkyu Kwon’s performance in Sunday’s narrow 1-0 loss to Rangers at Ibrox as one of the reasons he’s picked the on-loan Celtic player for a crucial World Cup doubleheader. Gray says the honour is entirely deserved.

And he declared: “I think it just shows the level in which the club operates and the size of the football club. I think we’ve seen that regularly, new players coming to join the club who maybe weren't full internationals when they joined, this is a platform to be able to go and do that.

“If you're performing well, especially on the big stage like it was at Ibrox at the weekend, it gives you the opportunity to then go and push on in your career. I think that's for every player who aspires to play for their country.

“If you're playing for a team at the level of Hibs and performing well at this level, it gives you a real opportunity to do that. I think that then showcases the level that we're operating at, which is great.

“It's obviously great for Kwon to come out and get first team games. I think he's done really well when he's played. He knows he's improving all the time.

“The way we train, he needs to get fitter and stronger, which is getting better all the time as well. I think he's enjoying himself. I think you saw that on Sunday, I thought he played well. I'm sure there's more to come, but it's great for him to get that recognition and hopefully he can push on.”

Gray reported no new injuries from Sunday’s battling performance, despite players averaging well over 11 kilometres of running over the 90 minutes. They were given Monday off to recover before returning to training yesterday.

Martin Boyle and Joe Newell both missed the trip to Govan through injury, with the Socceroos winger recovering from surgery on his hand and wrist, while the skipper is working his way back from a double hernia op. Both are making progress ahead of Saturday’s visit of Motherwell.

Revealing that Boyle has been fitted for a special cast to protect an injury he’d been playing with all season, Gray said: “Martin is getting there all the time. His operation went as well as it can go. It's just a case of managing it now to see how quickly we can get him back safely to make sure he doesn't fall on it and damage it further.

“He’ll have a certain cast that gets made so he's able to play with it - but also make sure that it doesn't undo the work he's had done on his wrist. It’ll be like a removable one that's suitable for playing with. There's a bit of a balance between how quickly you can get him back involved, contact stuff, because even if he's doing non-contact, he could fall on it or anything like that.

“So you always have to manage all that. And the last thing we want to do is put him in a situation where it undoes the work we've done previously.”

Providing an update on Newell, the head coach – who confirmed that Nicky Cadden had taken a late knock in training before Sunday’s game, ruling him out of the contest - said: “Joe is back on the grass, which has been good. I'm going to see how he goes, but no reaction so far, trained the last two days so he comes back in. If he doesn't react between how he trained this morning and where we are, he's another one that's available for the weekend which is good.”

Revealing that he’d withdrawn Nectar Triantis from the Ibrox fray after 80 minutes because the Aussie midfielder was cramping up, Gray explained: “That’s no surprise, given the numbers for the game. The boys put some effort in.

“I think the average player, if you break it all down to the collective, I think the average was about 11.3 or 11.4k per player. So it's a good shift.

“And there’s a lot of high intensity stuff. Depending on the opponent, depending on how the game goes, if the game becomes stretched you get some more high speed running and all these things.

GET THE LATEST HIBS NEWS DIRECTLY TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX DAILY WITH OUR FREE NEWSLETTER SERVICE

“But as I said after the game, that's the benchmark of where we need to get to. I've been saying now for a number of weeks, I've got us getting fitter and stronger, and you started to see that at the weekend. And the benefit of all the work we're doing is starting to come to the front, which is good. We're in a good place physically at the moment.”

Considering they travelled to face Rangers without Boyle, Newell or long-term injury victim Kieron Bowie, Gray was pleased with the options he had to pick not just a strong starting XI, but a bench full of potential impact players, saying: “I’ve spoken a lot about strength in depth and the need for competition. But also just you touched on the type of people that are missing, as well. So the Jo Newell’s captain, Martin Boyle vice-captain, and these players who really understand what it takes to play for Hibs, having been here for a long time.

“So that then shows you the type of characters we've recruited, the new players coming in. The two centre-backs, I thought they've done exceptionally well in terms of adjusting to Scottish football. They're getting better all the time.

“But the type of people they are as well, organisers, leaders. The two in the middle of the pitch, I thought they've done exceptionally well as well with that. In terms of the organisation, because we needed to be disciplined in our shape. And to single anybody out would be wrong, because I thought, looking through the squad at the weekend, everybody contributed really well.”