Hibs: What suspension of season means for seven out-of-contract players

Loanees Greg Docherty (left) and Stephane Omeonga are due to return to their parent clubs at the end of May but the unknown future of the 2019/20 season could change that

Three Hibs players are out of contract in the summer while a further four currently on loan are due to return to their parent clubs. The elephant in the room is that the coronavirus pandemic and indefinite hiatus of Scottish football could result in the 2019/20 season being completed in June - after the respective deals will have expired.

The Easter Road side, like so many other clubs, will likely have to thrash out month-long extensions for any of the players they want to keep; a fairly straightforward task for players they own, but a potential minefield for loanees.

Season in disarray

UEFA has somewhat optimistically proposed that domestic leagues attempt to finish their campaigns by June 30, COVID-19 permitting but some players, including former Hibs midfielder Marvin Bartley, have already voiced their opposition to playing games during what would ordinarily be that small window between seasons where players have booked holidays and family time.

The spread of coronavirus has thrown all of that into disarray. There is no guarantee that the situation will have improved to the extent that matches can be resumed in three months' time but clubs still need to negotiate with players as normal.

Adam Bogdan, Vykintas Slivka and Steven Whittaker are the three players on permanent deals whose contracts are scheduled to expire at the end of May.

Loanees Greg Docherty, Jason Naismith, Marc McNulty and Stephane Omeonga are all due to return to their parent clubs around the same time.

Current estimates from health experts offer little hope of the game returning within UEFA's proposed timeframe but regardless of when Scottish football resumes, the Easter Road side needs to plan ahead.

New short-term deals for trio?

Hungarian 'keeper Bogdan was obviously keen to come back to Hibs, signing on a permanent basis after his season-long loan spell last season. The former Liverpool shot-stopper is clearly settled in Edinburgh and provides reliable back-up and strong competition for Ofir Marciano. However, if the club chooses to cash in on the Israeli No.1 - who has 12 months left on his own deal and plenty of admirers on the continent - then Bogdan wouldn't be a bad first-choice option for Hibs.

Lithuanian international Slivka has played 84 times for Hibs but has never been able to command a regular starting berth, although he has had his injury problems during his three seasons in green and white.

His versatility marks him out as a useful squad player and there was interest in him in January from a club in Belgium, but given he has featured in every single league win Hibs have registered this term, it's possible he may be offered an extension - especially with uncertainty over the Easter Road future of fellow central midfielders Omeonga and Docherty.

The loanees

The latter has impressed in the middle of the park since his arrival from Rangers, providing the closest replacement for John McGinn since his transfer to Aston Villa in 2018. While the Ibrox side are understood to be happy to let the 23-year-old leave, Docherty would command a sizeable transfer fee and big wages. There is plenty of interest in a player whose stock is especially high south of the Border following his successful loan stint at Shrewsbury Town last season. He would have likely gone on loan to an English club in January had it not been for Florian Kamberi's move to Rangers.

Fans' favourite Omeonga returned in January, sans dreadlocks but still with the same je ne sais quoi that endeared him to supporters 12 months ago. It's clear that club and player are keen to do a permanent deal but a lot hinges on how the Belgian's parent club Genoa approaches the situation. The Serie

A side wanted too much money last summer but they might be easier to deal with this time around with just 12 months remaining on Omeonga's contract at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Peterborough United chairman Darragh MacAnthony has already suggested that Hibs were keen to do a permanent deal for Jason Naismith prior to his injury. Whether or not his spell on the sidelines changes things is unclear but his versatility makes him an attractive proposition.

McNulty is on a big contract at Reading, and is still young enough and ambitious enough to try England again after stuttering spells at the Royals and earlier this season at Sunderland.

He hasn't quite had the same impact at Hibs in his second loan stint as he did in his first spell but is happy in Scotland and so is his family. However, he is under contract with the Madejski Stadium club until the summer of 2022 so any clubs seeking to prise him away from Reading would have to pay a fee.

Hope for veteran Whitts?

Lastly, Steven Whittaker. It wasn't so long ago that a number of fans would have been happy to see the back of the veteran utility man and when he was named as part of the interim management team following the departures of Paul Heckingbottom, many assumed that was the end of his playing days.

Following the arrival of Jack Ross, Whittaker was often dispatched to the stand with an earpiece and relayed information to the dugout so when he was named in the starting line-up for the Scottish Cup match against Dundee United at Tannadice, eyebrows were raised. He put in a robust performance sitting in front of the back four and has been brought in for numerous matches since, usually to protect the defence.

He was sent off in Hibs' last match at Aberdeen and it was no coincidence that the team's performance dropped off the proverbial cliff without him on the pitch.

Whittaker may be 36 this summer but there wouldn't be too many Hibs fans objecting to extending his playing contract by 12 months and letting him to spend more time coaching younger players.

Hibs have to be prepared

In the short-term, the three permanent players may be happy to sign one-month extensions, assuming Scottish football is up and running again by the start of June. With the loanees, a lot depends on negotiations with parent clubs.

SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell is doubtful the season will be able to proceed as tentatively planned in June, which would throw another spanner in the works.

At the moment, the game is very much at the mercy of the virus. Hibs just have to be ready for all eventualities.