Hibs update on Scotland striker fitness as Swansea loanee's return gives Gray wealth of attacking options

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Marquee summer signing and loan star both eager to return

Hibs hope to have both Kieron Bowie AND Mykola Kuharevich back from injury to boost their forward line as early as Saturday. And gaffer David Gray is already getting excited about the attacking options he’ll have once the pair are back in harness.

Marquee summer signing Bowie, a £600,000 buy from Fulham, hasn’t featured since tearing his hamstring while on Scotland Under-21 duty back in September. The former Raith Rovers prospect, who sees himself as the long-term answer to Scotland’s search for an out-and-out No. 9 capable of delivering goals for Steve Clarke’s senior national team, had been working his way back from a recurring problem – being restricted to substitute appearances for Hibs – when he pulled up after starting back-to-back games for the 21s.

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The versatile forward returned to full contact training last week and has been working with the group this week. He’s been joined by Kuharevich, enticed back for a second loan spell at Easter Road as one of Gray’s priority signings during his first transfer window as boss, with the Ukrainian fully fit after recovering from a groin injury sustained early in the 3-0 loss to Celtic at the start of December – the only defeat in the past 10 games for Hibs.

Revealing that Bowie is in line to play some part in Saturday’s home Scottish Cup tie against West of Scotland Premier League leaders Clydebank, Gray said: “Kieron has continued to progress in training, which is good. He got through all of this week so far.

“Him and Myko have trained together all week, which is good. We'll really just have to see how he's reacted from that. We've done a lot of bigger space stuff with him, make sure he's got no reaction, and then we'll just weigh up whether or not this weekend's too soon or not - or whether there can be some sort of involvement for the both of them, which is positive.

“Kieron’s got a lot of things to get through before then. But hopefully they could both be involved this weekend.”

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Assuming both are fit, Kuharevich and Bowie will join a forward rotation that includes in-form Socceroos star Martin Boyle, who has scored back-to-back doubles in his last two outings, and Dwight Gayle in competition for two starting spots. With Elie Youan also expected back from injury soon, Gray is pleased with his options.

“You look at that, you've got Gayley, Kieron, Myko, you've still got Harry McKirdy, you've got Boyle who can play there,” he said, adding: “Junior Hoilett’s played up there, Josh Campbell, Rudi.

“A lot of competition, a lot of strength and depth, which is good. And then obviously Elie will come back as well. Different ways of playing, which is good.

“We can play with more of a target man and a bit of pace in behind, or you can have two big lads if you wanted to go that way. There's all different variations you can have within it, which is good.

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“But the biggest thing, the healthiest thing, is just competition. You want that in the team, and you want people knowing they need to play their absolute maximum to try and stay in the team. And that's a healthy environment to create.

Flexibility key to success

“We’ve had a change of shape in getting the two strikers on the pitch at the moment. But it’s not always two strikers. Sometimes it’s Junior up there, or it’s Elie there, players who can be flexible and end up wide.

“And all of the forward players that we're looking at are all pretty flexible, which is good. So you've got Boyle who can play off either wing, can play up front. Rudi the same.

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“Josh l can play in the ten, can play up front, can play off a side, at a push, but more of a defensive minded off a side player. And then you've obviously got Nicky Cadden and Junior as well who can play up there. As I say, I like the flexibility.”

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