Lennon to pack Calpol for youthful Hibs bench

HIBS boss Neil Lennon joked about packing the Easter Road first aid kit with some unusual items for tomorrow’s visit of Celtic — as he prepared to call on the kids amid a mounting injury crisis. With Marvin Bartley, Paul Hanlon and David Gray among those definitely out, plus major doubts over — among others — Mark Milligan, Martin Boyle and Adam Bogdan, Lennon is scratching around for reinforcements. ‘Will I play some of the young guys? Possibly,’ he admitted. ‘Either that or there will be a few dummies getting passed around the dugout because the subs bench will be pretty young. I’ll have some Calpol with me just in case!’ As it is, a few positive fitness bulletins would ease Lennon’s current selection headache. With personnel issues in mind, he’s not contemplating a high-pressing game of the kind deployed by Red Bull Salzburg against Celtic on Thursday night. And he warned: ‘We can’t go gung-ho, either. We did that in the first half at Celtic Park and it could have been more than 3-0 at half-time. ‘Yeah, everyone said what a great game that was — but we lost. We played very well second half and I think we’re the only team in Scotland that’s scored two goals against them at home this season. ‘The attacking players here haven’t been at their best so hopefully, with the win last weekend, you can see the spark coming back. ‘It’s sort of bare bones at the minute with the injuries. Hopefully we’ll get a few back for next week but we’re concentrating on Sunday. We’re short but we’re still capable of getting something out of the game.’ Meanwhile, Tommy Block is hopeful of being offered a deal at Hibs after a second trial with the Easter Road club. The 18-year-old has caught the eye of Lennon’s scouting network playing for Bognor Regis Town in the Isthmian Premier League, the seventh tier of English football. The midfielder was invited to train with Lennon’s squad last month but had to cut short his stay in the capital because of a stomach bug. However, the teenager has been back this week and is optimistic he has done enough to win a contract. ‘They have offered me a fantastic opportunity and I have responded as best I can, and hopefully that is good enough to get a contract,’ he said. ‘I’ve been training with the first team as well as the Under-20s and loved every minute of it. It’s been very intense and asked a lot of me physically but I feel positive about how I’ve responded. ‘Neil Lennon spoke to me and has been very welcoming. The staff here know all about Bognor and how we try to play and it’s great to learn they have paid so much attention to my background.’