Hibs return date confirmed as Easter Road squad granted well-earned break after fixture pile-up

Hibs’ first-team squad will return to training shortly after new year as Shaun Maloney steps up preparations for the second half of the season.

Hibs will return to HTC on January 3

The new manager presided over back to back wins in his first two games in charge as the Capital club built on the narrow 1-0 victory over Dundee on December 14.

While the squad has been given a well-earned rest after a hectic fixture schedule, they will be back at the Hibernian Training Centre on January 3 2022, giving them two full weeks of preparation ahead of the trip to face Celtic on Monday January 17.

Maloney gave the green light for his players to enjoy a week off following the 3-1 triumph against Dundee United on Boxing Day and should have near to a full squad available, with Paul McGinn and Joe Newell expected to shake off the injuries that kept them out of the trip to Tannadice.

Long-term absentees Melker Hallberg, Sean Mackie, and Dan Mackay, who missed a large chunk of the first half of the campaign, have all resumed training with Hallberg among the substitutes against United.

Maloney said: "The players deserve their break, their schedule has been tough, so they deserve the week break that they are having.

"That gives the technical staff and coaches time to review where we are, then when we come back, and we are going to work hard.

“We have a really important second half of the season, there are some principals we need to put in place, and we will get ready to go again."