Hibs injury latest as player returns to training after surgery and Lee Johnson gives squad update

Hibs manager Lee Johnson doesn’t envisage having to make too many changes to his squad for the must-win trip to Aberdeen on Saturday.

The main concern for the Easter Road side is Jake Doyle-Hayes, who was forced off after just 29 minutes of last weekend’s 2-1 victory over St Mirren following a clash of heads amid fears of concussion. Speaking about the Irish midfielder’s condition, Johnson played down his chances of being fit for Pittodrie where Hibs need three points against Barry Robson’s side – who have only lost one of their last eight games – to give themselves a chance of finishing third ahead of the Dons and Hearts.

"Jake, I’m not so sure about,” Johnson said. “He’s probably fifty-fifty. There are protocols that you have to go through. We’re doing everything right but it may just be too soon for him. I don’t know exactly, but I’m guessing he probably won’t be fit. Mykola Kukharevych is okay – it could be a risk if we play him, but we might be forced into that risk.”

Elsewhere, Martin Boyle and Aiden McGeady remain sidelined but Rocky Bushiri should travel, having got valuable gametime in the midweek friendly defeat by Newcastle United. A number of fringe first-teamers got minutes against the Magpies at their Darsley Park training base including centre-back Mikey Devlin, winger Jair Tavares, midfielder Ewan Henderson, full-backs Lewis Miller and Marijan Čabraja, and back-up goalkeeper Murray Johnson.

The Hibs players head out for training at HTC

Midfielder Kyle Magennis is also unavailable and won’t feature in the remaining four matches of the 2022/23 cinch Premiership campaign but is making progress with his rehabilitation after travelling to Germany to undergo surgery on the groin problem that has plagued him for the last few weeks.

The 24-year-old has played just 13 times this term, most recently during a 2-0 home victory over Kilmarnock in mid-February, and has had a string of setbacks to contend with since last summer including a hamstring strain and pelvic injury. He travelled to London earlier this year to see a specialist about the latter and received an injection before the issue with his groin was identified. Hibs won’t rush Magennis back into action, but club and player are understood to be targeting a return in time for the start of pre-season.