Exclusive:Hibs Scottish Cup injury news: Star men training status update ahead of clash with Neil Lennon's Dunfermline
Easter Road side have missed Boyle’s goal threat and Cadden’s deliveries from out wide
Hibs have received a couple of major injury boosts ahead of their testing Scottish Cup away game against Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline. And Easter Road boss David Gray says he’s suddenly working with an almost 100 per cent fit and available squad – just a couple of weeks on from being without half a dozen key figures.
Hibs feared Martin Boyle was facing a lengthy stint on the sidelines when he pulled up holding his hamstring in the 2-0 home win over Aberdeen between Christmas and New Year. And top assist provider Nicky Cadden, who had missed most of December with a calf injury, limped out of the derby win over Hearts at Easter Road on Boxing day with a similar – but unrelated – issue.
Rocky Bushiri back from AFCON and raring to go
Gray had to juggle his squad and shoehorn some square pegs into round holes during a busy period for the club, with the fact that Jordan Obita, Rocky Bushiri and Miguel Chaiwa were all away on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations further stretching resources. Jack Iredale and Kanayo Megwa also had to be substituted early in the 3-1 away win at Kilmarnock, while a sickness bug flattened Warren O’Hora, Kieron Bowie and Jamie McGrath in quick succession.
But Gray, who saw his team extend their unbeaten run to five straight Scottish Premiership fixtures with last weekend’s 1-1 home draw against much-admired Motherwell, revealed details of a much-improved medical bulletin earlier today, telling The Evening News: “We had obviously picked up a few bumps and bruises over that period leading up to the Motherwell game. Playing on different surfaces didn’t help – but we at least found out quickly that the boys with issues weren’t going to be long-term, which was a positive.
“The Motherwell game, that just came too soon for Boyle and Nicky Cadden, but both trained this week. They part-trained yesterday and fully-trained today, so we'll just see how they come through that. I’m expecting them to be available if selected, and contention for the squad, which is positive.
“To be honest, the only one that's officially out still will be Josh Campbell. So he's longer-term, he's probably the end of the month, hoping to get back on the grass doing a bit of straight-line running and stuff like that by the end of the week. But that'll be the end of the month before he's back, I think.
“Everybody else, even a few illnesses and stuff like that, Jamie McGrath was ill and had to come off early tat the weekend, but he's trained fully this week, feeling much more like himself, which is positive. Jack Iredale trained again today, because he's had a bit of an ongoing issue with his heel.
“That’s just a pain thing with Jack, so he says it's feeling better now than it was at the start of the end of last week. The surface at Kilmarnock probably aggravated a little bit as well.
“Grant Hanley's trained as well this week. And all three AFCON boys are available now, as well.”
Squad depth kept Hibs on even keel
Obita started at left wingback against Motherwell, having come on as a sub against Killie, while Chaiwa is also back in contention for game time. Bushiri only reported back to East Mains late last week following the Democratic Republic of Congo’s run to the last 16 in Morocco – but jumped straight into training.
“Rocky arrived back quite late in terms of availability for the Motherwell game,” said Gray. “But he was on the bench, and he's trained fully this week, so there's another great bit of news.
“You go from thinking that the squad's quite light, when you lose the three lads that were in on international duty. Then you pick up a couple of knocks.
“So when the three were away at AFCON, and then you get an injury to Nicky, an injury to Boyle, five big players out of the squad, a couple of illnesses within that as well, it became a wee bit stretched. The squad's depth's definitely been required.
“But then you go into training again today, everybody fully fit – only the one player out again - so you're looking really healthy again. And then you get that competition for places, which is always necessary.
“Hopefully, everyone's came through today. We'll find out how they've reacted to that, and then put a squad together for a good game at the weekend.”