Exclusive:Hibs injury news: international midfielder fitness doubt as defender ruled out amid late return for front two
International contingent returning from World Cup adventures and friendly clashes
Hibs are sweating over the fitness of Miguel Chaiwa ahead of their return to Scottish Premiership action. And the Easter Road side, still waiting for all of their absent international players to report back to training, will definitely be without Munashe Garananga as a defensive option for this weekend’s visit of Kilmarnock.
David Gray’s men are still trying to make up a six-point gap on Motherwell in the race for guaranteed European football. And Gray could be without at least a couple of key performers for the home clash with a resurgent Killie.
Selection decisions may already be influenced by the fact that Aussie pair Martin Boyle and Ante Suto aren’t due back at East Mains until tomorrow, assuming no travel complications, giving the duo – a potential starting partnership at the top end of the team – just 24 hours to prepare for a crucial Scottish Premiership clash. But it’s the possible loss of Chaiwa that would cause the most serious problem for Hibs.
Zambian missed out on Lionel Messi match-up
The all-action midfielder had to withdraw from international duty with Zambia on medical advice, missing out on the dream of facing Argentina at La Bombonera, after over-stretching his groin late in the 0-0 draw with Motherwell at Fir Park just before the break. And Gray is still waiting for a final verdict on the 21-year-old’s availability from the sports science department at HTC.
With fellow midfield dynamo Josh Mulligan not expected back in action until after the SPFL split, the ex-Dundee star still working his way back from surgery on the ankle injury sustained in a Scottish Cup defeat to Dunfermline back in January, Hibs could find themselves light in the middle of the park. That could be a problem against a Kilmarnock side transformed under the leadership of Neil McCann.
Since the former Hearts and Rangers star’s appointment as manager in January, Killie – who had just won four league games all season – have racked up four Scottish Premiership victories. They’ve just won two on the bounce, defeating league leaders Hearts before putting clear distance between themselves and 12th-placed Livingston with a 2-0 home victory over Marvin Bartley’s side.
With fifth place not enough to guarantee a place in UEFA competition for the second straight season, Hibs are still pinning their hopes on catching and overtaking fourth-placed Motherwell. The teams meet once after the Scottish Premiership split, with the Easter Road side potentially facing a fixture fudge that would see them visit Fir Park for a THIRD time this season.
Bushiri and Hanley vying for starting spot
Gray, aware that six points from the home game with Kilmarnock and next weekend’s visit to crisis-hit Aberdeen are a necessity, is already resigned to being without Zimbabwe defender Garananga, who picked up a hamstring problem in his country’s 3-0 win over Botswan, forcing the on-loan FC Copenhagen centre-half to sit out their 1-0 win over Zambia’s Under-23 team.
But both Rocky Bushiri and Grant Hanley are fully fit. An unused sub as the Democratic Republic of Congo defeated Jamaica in a World Cup play-off in Guadalajara, Mexico, Bushiri has nailed down a starting place in the heart of the Hibs back three, while potential back-up Hanley at least hasn’t been harmed by his involvement as a non-playing member of Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad.
Boyle played 45 minutes for Australia as they beat Curacao in their FIFA Series friendly tournament, before sitting out a 5-1 win over Curacao. Hibs team-mate Suto, called up to the Socceroos for the first time, was an unused sub in both matches.
With events in the Middle East disrupting normal travel routes, both faced return journeys of up to 70 hours for the games in Sydney and Melbourne. German wingback Felix Passlack and 20-year-old striker Owen Elding, meanwhile, are scheduled to be available for this weekend’s fixture despite heading into the break carrying minor knocks and strains.