Lennon: We need a big yin up front
NEIL Lennon has revealed he wants to add a target man to the Hibs strike-force before the transfer window closes next week.
The Easter Road boss has brought in Australia striker Jamie Maclaren on loan this month but looks certain to off-loan Anthony Stokes after the former Celtic man was left out of Sunday’s Scottish Cup defeat to Hearts following off-field disciplinary issues.
With Lithuania cap Deivydas Matulevicius currently sidelined with a knee injury, and having been told he is free to find another club, the capital outfit are short of options in attack, where youngster Oli Shaw partnered Martin Boyle at Tynecastle in the 1-0 loss.
Lennon said: “There’s the possibility [of more movement in and out], yes.
“I think we need to add a little bit of firepower and maybe a bit of physicality.
“Deivydas has had a knee injury, so he was missing on Sunday, and we missed that, especially when the conditions were like they were.
“Sometimes you need a powerful one up there.
“But, yes, we’re maybe looking for another forward-thinking player.”
Hibs have also recruited keeper Scott Bain on loan from Dundee and former Hearts defender Faycal Rherras on loan from Mechelen this month, but none of the new boys were called on to make their debuts at Tynecastle.
Lennon explained: “Jamie’s just in the door and Faycal only came in on Saturday.
“They weren’t really ready to play in a game of [Sunday’s] magnitude and tempo.
“Jamie had a groin strain last week and he hasn’t played much football, since basically the start of the season.
“Faycal only trained for an hour on Saturday, so we don’t really know what he’s got in terms of game-time.
“That was our thinking behind that.”
The Hibs boss added: “We brought these players in with the future in mind and the games coming up, but we had enough out there on Sunday to see the game through, or even to win the game.”