Jack Ross set to address media as Hibs juggle Covid-19 cases and selection worries

Head coach Jack Ross is due to address the media today as Hibs continue to prepare for their rearranged Scottish Premiership match against Ross County in Dingwall on Wednesday.
A general view of Hibs' Easter Road stadiumA general view of Hibs' Easter Road stadium
A general view of Hibs' Easter Road stadium

It has been a testing few days for the Capital club amid claims made by another hotel guest that some players and staff were not adhering to Covid-19 guidelines at the club’s Inverness base ahead of the postponed fixture.

Club chiefs remain hopeful that there will be no further positive cases among the playing squad or coaching staff, with several individuals already ruled out of the midweek clash.

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Hibs will be without at least ten players for Wednesday night’s match – five through injury and a further five through returning positive tests for coronavirus – and one member of the coaching staff is also confirmed to have tested positive, with the six affected persons now self-isolating as a result.

Members of the Capital club’s Under-18s are now primed for inclusion in the senior squad after being unavailable on Saturday.

Their scheduled training session on Monday was cancelled, with the youngsters undergoing PCR testing as part of preparations for involvement on Wednesday.

Eddie May and Gareth Evans' team had been in action in CAS Under-18 Elite Youth League action on Friday night, with rules preventing them from playing two matches inside 24 hours.

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However a handful could be named in the first-team squad for Wednesday night's match to ensure Hibs can raise a team for the fixture.

The original Premiership clash was scheduled for 3pm on Saturday October 30 but after two first-team players tested positive for Covid-19 and around half of the squad were identified as close contacts, the Easter Road side contacted the SPFL to request a postponement, with confirmation of the call-off coming around four hours before kick-off.

The SPFL indicated that the game should be played on Wednesday night but despite chief executive Ben Kensell holding talks with the SPFL in a bid to secure an alternative date for the fixture to be played, highlighting the inconvenience to supporters and the club’s concerns at being asked to play the game so soon after several positive coronavirus tests, he was unsuccessful in convincing league chiefs to alter their stance.

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