Keeper crisis: Hibs boss faces sweat over Ma-Kalambay and Stack for St Johnstone clash

Published on Monday 28 December 2009 09:42

HIBS boss John Hughes today admitted he faces the prospect of a goalkeeping crisis ahead of Wednesday night's match against St Johnstone with question marks against the fitness of both Graham Stack and Yves Ma-Kalambay.

Stack hasn't featured in the Easter Road club's last four matches as he's battled to overcome a back problem and Ma-Kalambay tweaked a hamstring during yesterday's 4-1 defeat by Rangers, a result which ended Hibs' run of 12 SPL matches unbeaten.

Although he declared himself able to continue after half-time, Ma-Kalambay passed on the duty of taking bye kicks to team-mates Sol Bamba and then Paul Hanlon.

The loss of both Ma-Kalambay and Stack would leave Hughes with only teenager Thomas Flynn, a member of the Hibs Under-19 side which won the League and Cup double last season, but who is, as yet, untested in the top flight.

Hughes admitted tossing the youngster into action against the SPL leaders would have been too much for Flynn but today he conceded he might be left with no option should Ma-Kalambay fail to prove his fitness ahead of the trip to McDiarmid Park.

He said: "I'm hoping Yves will be all right, if not we have a real goalkeeper crisis. Yves tweaked his hamstring but we asked him at half-time if he could carry on. Making saves and catching the ball was all right but kicking the ball was a problem.

"But it slowed the game down , guys having to go back and take the kicks when we were trying to get on with it."

Stack has had an injection to help ease his injury but Hughes revealed a doubt remained as to whether he'd be ready in 48 hours' time. He said: "Stacky can go training feel great then all of a sudden it seizes up again."