Boyle concussion update as Hibs medical staff visit star player

Boyle was taken straight to hospital with serious head knock that left team-mates concerned.

Martin Boyle is still resting in a darkened room almost a week on from the sickening head knock that saw him stretchered off the pitch at Easter Road. And Hibs hope that the looming international break will give their star winger a chance to fully recover from a concussion that saw him hospitalised.

Boyle was taken straight from the stadium to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary when he was knocked out in a clash of heads with Rangers defender John Souttar late in the first half of last Sunday’s Scottish Cup contest. Hibs boss Nick Montgomery revealed yesterday that the Socceroos ace – who will miss his country’s World Cup home-and-away qualifiers against Lebanon – was still not symptom free, the first hurdle to be cleared before he’s even returned to light non-contact training.

“I spoke to Martin this morning, and he’s still in a dark room, not feeling great,” said Monty. “But he’s progressing slowly.

“It’s never nice having a bad concussion. It’s never a good time to get injured. But going into his international break, it gives him a chance to have a couple of weeks where he can recover.

“We’re hopeful that Martin will be back in training on Monday. But the most important thing is that he’s home with his family.

“The doctor has been out to see him, along with the physios. He’s just nursing a bit of a bad headache from the concussion.

“That’s something we need to keep an eye on. Hopefully we can get him back in next, which gives us two weeks to prepare him to play after the break.”

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Hibs host Livingston tomorrow in a Scottish Premiership contest that has taken on extra significance following the disappointment of a midweek draw against Ross County in Dingwall. Monty’s men slipped out of the top six as a result of Dundee’s win over Aberdeen on Wednesday – and have only four games remaining before the league split.

The manager is hoping that his team have enough firepower to see off bottom side Livi, even without the presence of talismanic attacker Boyle, with the gaffer singling out Myziane Maolida – a scorer in midweek – as a key figure. Hailing the January loan signing’s improvement since being thrown in at the deep end immediately after arrival, Montgomery said: “I’ve been really proud of Myziane. He came in after not playing for a couple of months, I knew he wasn’t properly fit, he just needed games.

“Did I think he was going to be on form from minute one? No. But quite quickly he has transformed himself into one of the most dangerous players in the league, because of his attributes. I know what he’s capable of.

“Myziane has actually been frustrated because he knows he can do more, knows he can score more goals. But I said to him yesterday that, even when the game is difficult and he doesn’t think he’s playing as well as he can, he should remember that he’s still got a lot to learn.

“I think he’s got so much more to give. And he’s really enjoying himself. He only needs a couple of chances – and it was a great finish the other night.”