Hibs defender Rocky Bushiri 'back on the pitch' amid 'complicated' admission on striker
Manager’s regular talks with centre-half helped by common language
Talismanic Hibs star Rocky Bushiri is making good progress in his return from long-term injury. And the Democratic Republic of Congo defender, who grew up in Belgium and counts Flemish as one of his languages, is having regular chats with Dutch boss Marink Reedijk about his next steps on the road to recovery.
Hibs came through their weekend win over Hearts at Hampden without any new major injuries, although a minor issue means Grant Hanley may be struggling to be part of the squad travelling north for Saturday’s Scottish Premiership fixture against Aberdeen at Pittodrie. But none of the players who missed out on the historic derby victory will be back to full fitness as Hibs look to kick-start their league campaign.
Still stuck at the bottom of the table and without a league win under Reedijk, Hibs will march on the Granite City in high spirits after their heroics at the national stadium. The manager has demanded that they bring the same intensity they showed in Glasgow to the final fixture before the international break.
‘Complicated’ back injury for No. 9 Lowe
Providing an update on his squad, the Easter Road boss said: “Callum Wright came off the bench at Hampden, which is good. Yeah, Callum comes back as well. So this is the one which is coming back.
“Nathan Lowe still has a back problem, yes. And this is a complicated situation. So I cannot say how long he will be out, but it will take a few more weeks for sure. And then depending on how it progresses, it depends on what it will look like further down the line.”
World Cup heartache for star centre-half
Bushiri missed out on representing his country at the World Cup after suffering a serious Achilles’ tendon injury in the final game of last season. He has returned to limited individual training at HTC with a view to hopefully returning before the new year.
Reedijk said: “Rocky is back on the pitch. He's doing some running. He's doing well. But also this takes a couple of more weeks, months, because that's a very tricky injury always.
“I’ve spoken to him. Yeah, he sits down, he comes for a coffee now and then - he doesn't drink coffee though. But we speak, because he also speaks Dutch, so we can speak in our language and it makes things easier. He knows a few people in Belgium I know. So yeah, we have regular chats.”
Reedijk is confident, meanwhile, that midfielder Joe Newell will be able to keep producing stand-out performances after playing three games in the space of a week – including back-to-back Man of the Match performances against St Mirren and Hearts.
“I don't see a reason why not,” said the gaffer. “He's remarkable. He does really well. ‘Considering the amount of football he missed the months before, it's really remarkable to see a) that he does three matches in the week and b) the quality he produced in those matches.
“That's really good to see. And I'm very happy and glad for him that he does this.”