Elias Melkersen 'misses Hibs bounce game through illness' but Shaun Maloney pleased with striker's progress

Shaun Maloney has moved to reassure Hibs fans that Elias Melkersen is progressing well, despite still waiting to make his debut for the Easter Road side.

The 19-year-old arrived during the January transfer window for a six-figure fee from Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt but has been given time to adjust to Scottish football.

Melkersen was ruled out of involvement in Tuesday's bounce game against Huddersfield Town through illness, which also forced him to miss a supporters’ event at the stadium that same night.

The striker was named in the matchday squad for the first time when Hibs travelled to Arbroath in the Scottish Cup, and was an unused sub for the victory over Ross County last weekend.

Elias Melkersen missed the bounce game with Huddersfield through illness

But Melkersen is very much in first-team plans and is adjusting well, according to his manager.

“It was always our plan that he was going to take a bit longer to adapt because he was at the end of the Norwegian season,” Maloney explained.

"He's also a lot younger than others, in terms of changing countries. But I have to say, in the last couple weeks, he's been very good in training and started to really adapt to the physicality. That was a really big learning curve for him, so he's already showing signs of improvement in that.

"He’s been in matchday squads and he has to just keep working as hard as he can, because he's fighting against Kevin Nisbet and Christian Doidge for that nine position.

"So he's got some really good players ahead of him, but he's certainly progressing well.”

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