Injuries and international absences leave Hibs manager Jack Ross in the lurch

Hibs manager Jack Ross wishes that football authorities had shown greater consideration for clubs when drawing up a cup fixture list that clashes with Nations League matches.

Hibs manager Jack Ross says his squad is down to the bare bones ahead of Tuesday's trip to Forfar. Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group

Four of his first team regulars are currently preoccupied with international commitments and, with Josh Doig still isolating as a precaution after his Scotland U-19 boss Billy Stark tested positive for Covid-19, injuries to a handful of other starters have severely limited his options.

“There has been a shift in dynamics for us and this season we have found ourselves, unfortunately for me in terms of this competition, with a number of players involved in international duty, especially Scottish players,” said the Easter Road gaffer.

“It helps when we are trying to attract them here and we can point to that and show that this is a club worth coming to if they want international recognition. So the more [we have involved] the merrier, so long as they schedule this competition for a time that doesn’t coincide with international breaks!”

For now, though, he will head into Tuesday night’s game against Forfar with an even more depleted squad as Drey Wright joins the casualty list and a couple of others are nursing niggles and are doubtful.

“In fairness to Drey, he was struggling before the game and it was touch and go if he would play or not. I was going to take him off at halftime anyway but that allowed us to change the shape and get Jamie [Gullan] on but he was struggling a bit as well and is also doubtful for Tuesday.