Marciano: I’ll be back soon, fingers crossed
Ofir Marciano insists he is ready for the fight for the No.1 spot at Hibs as he closes in on full fitness.
The Israel internationalist has been sidelined since the final day of last season because of a finger injury that required surgery during the summer.
The 28-year-old has revealed he battled through the pain barrier with the problem for the last three months of the campaign as he tried in vain to help Hibs clinch second in the Premiership.
He has since missed the Europa League adventure and the opening few weeks of the domestic campaign. Manager Neil Lennon has recruited Adam Bogdan on loan from Liverpool to plug the gap.
But, nearing full fitness again after returning to training and playing in a bounce game this week, Marciano insists his fight with Bogdan and Ross Laidlaw for the starting berth can only be good for Hibs.
He said: “It started last year around February but I just kept playing with it because I didn’t want to miss the games.
“So, I just took painkillers. I was in really bad pain but I managed to do it every week.
“By the end of the season, I went to a few specialists and we decided I had to have an operation on my finger.
“Then the recovery time always got worse and worse.
“But, with the help of the physio department, I have got back and now I am happy that I am fit again.
“It is a good place to be, for the club. You need good goalies in the club and it means that Hibs are in a good place at the moment, that we have goalies at a good level.
“For me, I am just thinking about getting back to my best now and getting back to 100%, and I am sure it is going to be fine.
“It feels great to be back in training. I have been looking forward to that for so long, ever since I had my operation.
“It has been a frustrating time for me because it has taken a long time, longer than I expected.
“But it has been a complicated injury, especially for a goalkeeper.
“But I am happy that I am back now and in training and I really appreciate the help I have received on my road to recovery.”