Joe Newell 'could make Aberdeen game' but Hibs boss Shaun Maloney still without several key players

Hibs midfielder Joe Newell has an outside chance of being fit for the trip to Aberdeen on Saturday March 19 but manager Shaun Maloney has cast doubt on any of his fellow injured players joining him.

The 28-year-old hasn’t featured since he was forced off during the second half of the goalless draw with city rivals Hearts in the Edinburgh derby at the start of February.

The former Rotherham United man put in one of his best displays of the season and his experience has been missed in the middle of the park since.

However, his expected return to light training has offered a glimmer of hope for Maloney who, while not wanting to place too much emphasis on his rather lengthy list of unavailable players, admits he hasn’t before seen an injury crisis like the one with which Hibs are dealing.

Joe Newell could return for the trip to Aberdeen

The Evening News understands that there is a slim possibility that Newell will be available for the trip to the north-east a week on Saturday but Maloney isn’t expecting to have any more bodies back for this weekend’s Scottish Cup quarter-final at Motherwell or the Pittodrie fixture.

Striker Kevin Nisbet is a long-term absentee after suffering knee ligament damage in the recent goalless draw with Celtic at Easter Road while Kyle Magennis also remains sidelined after suffering a setback in his efforts to return from a complex groin injury.

Defensive trio Harry Clarke, Paul McGinn, and Paul Hanlon are also out for the foreseeable along with Matt Macey and Demi Mitchell.

American forward Chris Mueller missed the goalless draws against Dundee and St Johnstone and remains a doubt for the Fir Park trip.

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