Hibs return on horizon for O’Hanlon

The 28-year-old centre back broke his toe on his competitive debut against Celtic in Hibs’ opening game of the SPL season, but manager Colin Calderwood has indicated that the defender’s first team comeback is not far away.

The former Swindon and MK Dons stopper would add much-needed experience to the Hibs rearguard, with a young back four having leaked four goals at Kilmarnock in their last outing.

Boss Calderwood said: “He is out running. We have to try to get him joining in training and kicking a ball so we will push him along. He hasn’t kicked the ball yet so we will hopefully introduce that this week.”

The Easter Road supremo thinks Sunday’s 4-1 defeat in Ayrshire will stand his side in good stead for the current campaign, implying that such a heavy loss offered his players some valuable perspective.

“More or less, we were beat in the individual areas too easily in their last third and that caused us a problem all day. The boys are better than that, there is no doubt about it. In the long term, it will be a terrific dose of punishment that we have received and, if you can improve from it, it will be a help.”

Meanwhile, former Aberdeen loanee Javan Vidal, released by Manchester City earlier this summer, has claimed he is in negotiations over a move to Hibs.

“I’m in negotiations with two clubs at the minute that I can name and a few others that I can’t disclose, so interest has started to pick up a little,” said the 22-year-old English full-back, who impressed during a six-month spell at Pittodrie two years ago.

“I’m talking to Hibernian from the SPL and a team in Turkey called Denizlispor, but there are a few English League One clubs as well, but I can’t name them at the moment.

“I’d be welcome to any offers to be honest because it is all about getting out there and playing regular football again.”