Hibs skipper requires injury 'intervention' as team swap short-term pain for long-term gain

Hibs skipper Joe Newell has suffered a setback on his return from a groin injury, with gaffer David Gray revealing that the influential midfielder requires an “intervention” to address the problem. But the Hibs boss believes it will be worth playing without club captain for another two or three weeks – if it means Hibs get the best of out the on-field leader over the rest of the season.

Newell was sidelined for six weeks after double hernia surgery earlier in the season. He then limped out of the December 29 home win over Kilmarnock at half-time, having over-stretched for a ball.

Gray revealed: “Joe's had a bit of a setback with his groin. He's going to require a little bit of an intervention, let's just say, because he's had a bit of an issue with his groin for a wee while.

“But it's going to keep him probably out for a couple of weeks, which is a bit of a blow. He'd been managing it all season, to a point, then he had his operation, then he was out for a bit.

Newell, pictured celebrating after the derby win at Tynecastle, could be out for three weeks. | SNS Group

“But then he just re-stretched it in the Kilmarnock game just before half-time. He hadn't felt that, and that probably put him back a wee bit. So we're going to take the opportunity now, because he's not quite able to push himself through that at this moment, to get that little bit of rest and recovery, and try and start that healing process a wee bit.

“So he'll be a couple of weeks, maybe three weeks, which is a bit of a blow, but at least we've got through this really busy period just now. It goes back to one-game weeks after this one. So we're hoping that he'll be back as quick as we can.”

No point just ‘scraping through games’

Despite Hibs extending their unbeaten run to six games, Newell was missed in the 1-1 draw away to St Johnstone and Sunday’s dramatic six-goal thriller at home to Rangers, Gray admitting: “He's a captain, so he brings leadership skills, his calmness on the ball, his ability to speed the game up and slow it down, and just how he is on the pitch with the players. They all respect him, and they all see him as that leader type, so when you miss a player of that standard, you're obviously going to feel it.

“He’s obviously trying to get the physios to get him back as quick as we can, but we also need him playing at his best, seeing his ability. You can't have him just scraping through games and not giving himself the best possible chance to get over it.

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“I think if we keep going the way we're going, it becomes a much bigger problem and you never really get the best out of Joe Newell, whereas if we can intervene now, hopefully it's a couple of weeks, two or three weeks for a bit of short-term pain now for a much longer term, for between now and the end of the season, get Joe back to where he needs to be.”

French attacker Elie Youan is battling to be fit for the weekend with a toe injury that has kept him out of action since the Boxing Day derby win over Hearts at Tynecastle, Gray admitting: “That’s a frustrating one because we thought he would be back well before now. But it could just be one that rapidly heals.

“He's got a problem with his toe from impact that it's taking longer to settle. Because a lot of your force goes through it; you don't realise until you hurt your big toe how much important it is with your balance and stuff.

Youan (right, pictured celebrating with Josh Campbell) is touch and go with a toe injury. | SNS Group

“We did think it would settle down a lot quicker than it has. But again, it's been x-rayed, he’s had an MRI, there's nothing significant or structural going on in there. It's just a healing process, it's taking longer than we'd like.

“He could go from doing very little today to coming in tomorrow feeling brand new and good to go. So, still hopeful he'll be available for the weekend, in some capacity.”

Irish defender Warren O’Hora, meanwhile, is expected to be available for Saturday’s visit of Motherwell after resting a niggling injury, Gray explaining: “He had an issue with his foot before, but nothing major, it will just settle down over time. So he was able to push through it - but it was still stiffening up at half-time and giving him discomfort.

“The benefit of him not playing the last two games will be really good for him, because he's played a lot of football. But he's fully fit and available, if selected from now, that's him back. He's still feeling it at times, but it's not an issue like it was previously.”