Hibs without 11 for Betfred tie at Forfar
Jack Ross has just 13 outfield players available to him for Hibs’ Betfred Cup group clash at For far Athletic tonight after Paul Hanlon was called into the Scotland squad.
A combination of international duty, injuries, and precautionary self- isolation has sidelined 11 firstteam ers, but the Easter Road head coach is confident his fringe players and youngsters can step up as Hibs aim to make it three wins on the bounce in the competition.
Goal keeper O fir Marciano, midfielder Alex Gogic, and defensive duo Paul Mcginn and Ryan Porte - ous are all on international duty and have now been joined by Hanlon.
He has been called up by Steve Clarke as defensive cover after Scotland lost Li am Cooper and Andy Robertson in recent days.
Te eange left-back Josh Doig is currently self-iso - lating as a precaution and Scott Allan is joined on the sidelines by Joe Ne well, Jamie Murphy, Lewis Stevenson and Drey Wright.
Ross said: “I think we’ve got 11 out. We've got a few out on loan and beyond that we're at the stage of 16-year-olds and younger, but they won't be involved.
“Everybody who's available at the moment will be involved. We’ll be okay. We’ve got a good mentality and we’re winning games so I’ve got every faith.”
Jamie Gullan could not have asked for a better start to the calendar year.
Recalled from a loan spell with League One side Raith Rovers, he was promoted to the Hibs first team squad and scored his first senior goal for the club on February 28 in a Scottish Cup tie against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.
Less than a fort night later he received his first Scotland Under -21 call-up, but just days after his inclusion in Scot Gemmill’s squad Scottish football entered into a coronavirus-enforced shutdown with no visible end in sight.
For the 21- year-old, lockdown could not have come at a worse time.
Gullan said: “It was hard to stay positive at the start of it all because it was the worst timing possible for me. but I just reacted to it by trying to make myself better for pre-season.
“I tried to get as fit as possible, and stronger, and came back and at pre -season I was a lot better for the work I’d put in.”
The forward finally opened his account for the 2020/21 season with the equaliser against Cove R angers at the weekend and admitted he was glad to get off the mark after playing well against Bro ra Rangers last week but failing to find the net.
Gullan said: “I was delighted to get the goal; it was a long time coming.
“Hopefully it isn’t a long wait for my next one as I want to keep contributing.
“The gaffer told me at the weekend to come on and make an impact and it was good to do that. Hopefully if he keeps calling on me I can keep producing.”
The form of Kevin N is bet and Christian Doidge has perhaps led to Gullan spending more time on the bench than he might like, although he has been given a chance to impress during the Betfred Cup group games and will feature against Forfar Athletic at Station Park tonight.
Gull an explained :“When you have two strikers playing so well you aren’t going to get into the team if they keep scoring and the side keeps winning.
“I understand why I am not playing every week but I have a chance to show what I can do.”
Despite the apparent competition for places, his teammates have still been passing on some pearls of wisdom.
Gullan added: “I learn a lot from them. They come to me to give me advice; even if I don’t ask for it. It is really good to work with the two of them; they bring different qualities to the game so I can learn plenty from them.
“It is great to have senior members helping you.”
The arrival of Nisb et on a four-year deal during the summer led to many questioning whether the former Par tick Thistle youngster could make the step up to the Premiership but, having played alongside him, Gull an was confident that the 23-year-old would hit
the ground running at the next level.
He continued: “We played together at Raith and he was banging the goals in then.
He carried that form into the Championship and the Pre - miership.
"We worked well to ge ther and hopefully we can play
together this season.
“I knew he could step up the levels when we were at Raith. Since coming here he lo oks faster and stronger – but he is