Mixu hopes a second jab is best medicine for Hibs star McCann

Published on Saturday 4 October 2008 11:05

CROCKED Hibs star Kevin McCann could return to full training within a fortnight after having a second injection in a bid to banish the tendonitis in his knee which has plagued him for months.

The Scotland Under-21 defender has managed just one first-team match since February and had the first jag last month, allowing him to turn out for Hibs' reserve side.

But McCann suffered a recurrence of the inflammation and has now been given a second injection which, it is hoped, will solve the problem once and for all.

The unfortunate youngster first suffered from tendonitis at the end of last season after he'd made his breakthrough to the first team under John Collins, producing a string of impressive performances.

Those displays earned him a place in the Scotland squad for the Under-20 World Cup in Canada last summer but McCann was forced to pull out as his knee flared up.

A summer's rest appeared to have done the trick as McCann returned to action, playing 22 matches only for his appearance against Dundee United in early February to be his last until a belated call to action when Hibs faced Rangers at the beginning of May.

Expressing his hope McCann will be ready to resume training soon, Hibs boss Mixu Paatelainen today said: "It's been a frustrating time for Kevin, these inflammations can be really nasty.

"We'd hoped the initial injection would cure the problem but they can linger for quite a while and unfortunately that's what happened to Kevin.

"Hopefully this second jag will have killed it and he should now be okay and ready to start training again in a couple of weeks." McCann's return would be a welcome boost for Paatelainen's squad, providing competition for a place at right back.

While summer signing David van Zanten has held down that berth since the start of the season the only other contender, Thierry Gatheussi, appears to have dropped out of the picture, having failed to even make the bench for recent matches.

Hibs annual shareholders meeting will take place in the Forthview Suite of the Famous Five Stand at Easter Road on Monday at 7pm.