Hibs player sees transfer exit hint dropped as Charlton Athletic to seek January Plan B if key theme continues

Charlton Athletic have confirmed they could seek an alternate plan for Zach Mitchell, if his Hibs situation does not change.

The defender spent the second half of last term at Premiership level with St Johnstone on loan from the English Championship side, and returned north to Hibs in the summer transfer window. He has not played a competitive match for David Gray’s side, however, and his only minutes have come in a KDM Evolution Trophy league phase match against Peterhead. Mitchell scored and helped Hibs’ youngsters gain a clean sheet in the 4-0 victory.

He has been an unused sub four times ahead of this weekend’s league match with Falkirk and Hibs are set to have some defensive gaps needing covered, with Rocky Bushiri and Jordan Obita to miss time through involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations. Charlton Athletic boss Nathan Jones has admitted that should Mitchell continue to be a fringe player, the Addicks may seek a solution in next month’s transfer window.

Charlton Athletic on Zach Mitchell

Jones told South London Sport: “Zach's not been benefitting from playing 90 minutes, but he’s at a big football club, so it will be a learning curve for him.

“He is probably not getting the game time that we would like him to get, for whatever reason. We understand Hibs are doing well and in a good position, so there is no obligation to play him. He has to earn that. If that continues, we will probably look to do something different to get him the minutes he needs.”

Mitchell has featured 20 times for Charlton on top of his other loans to Colchester United and St Johnstone but Hibs gaffer Gray has talked highly of the centre-back. He said in relation to Mitchell and Grant Hanley who also arrived in the summer: “I thinks it’s all part of your thinking when you sign players. When you get to Christmas time, players who are successful and qualify can be away at the tournament, so you lose members of your squad, especially in defence.

Why Hibs signed Zach Mitchell

“Which is why it's great to have grown-up players like Grant Hanley and Zach Mitchell come in as well. They give you that depth as well at times when you do lose players. You know that when you sign the players that there's a potential for them to be away for a couple of weeks, three or four weeks potentially if they go really well in the competition. So the squad's ready for it, it is able.

“Clearly if you were to then pick up a few injuries in that particular area, as you talk about Jordan's area, if you ended up losing a left-sided player it probably makes you a little bit more vulnerable. But we have got a lot of dual-position players and it's not as if it's for six or eight weeks, where it could really affect the squad.

“Selfishly for me, 100% I would rather have them all here. But at the same time there's no better honour for them. Obviously I never got the opportunity to represent my country myself personally at the highest level, but it's the greatest achievement you can have and you would never want players not to go and experience that because that's what it's all about. You only get one career, so you want to try and maximise that the best you can and obviously wish them all the very best. “