Alan Stubbs still to choose Hibs goalkeeper for semi-final

Hibs head coach Alan Stubbs has admitted he remains uncertain who will line up in goal for tomorrow's Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee United at Hampden Park.

Alan Stubbs insists he has no concerns over the goalkeeping dilemma ahead of Hibernian's William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final against Dundee United. Picture: PA

First-choice goalkeeper Mark Oxley is ruled out of the lunchtime showdown through suspension after controversially collecting his second booking of this season’s tournament in the quarter-final replay win at Inverness last month.

Stubbs must choose between Finnish under-21 international Otso Virtanen, who appeared nervous and unconvincing when he made his only appearance for the club so far as a late replacement for Oxley in Inverness, or 29-year-old Irishman Conrad Logan who was signed on a short-term contract from Leicester City in March.

As Hibs bid to reach their third Scottish Cup final in five years, it is a massive call for Stubbs to make. He said: “I haven’t really decided yet.

“Whoever it is going to be, whether it is Otso or whether it is Conrad, it will be down to what we feel is the right decision on the day.”

Oxley was cautioned for time-wasting by referee Stephen Finnie in the closing stages of the 2-1 win over Inverness, a decision Stubbs initially hoped to appeal as his player had lost a contact lens and was looking for it on the pitch. But there was no means to do so through the SFA’s disciplinary procedures.

“It wasn’t really worth it in the end,” added Stubbs. “We spoke about it, but it was never going to get overturned. It was just an unfortunate set of circumstances that led to the booking. It is what it is. We’ve known about it for weeks now.

“We’ve known it was going to be either Otso or Conrad who will play. I’m just glad there hasn’t been an injury in the lead-up to the game this week or potentially we’d be running around with only one keeper.

“In an ideal world, we would have given either or both of them some game time. But the only reason we haven’t done it is because our main priority is the league.

“That would have given one of them the opportunity. But they could have come in for that game and made a mistake. You just don’t know.

“Whoever plays on Saturday could have a fantastic game without even having had a full first-team game for us before.

“We’re hoping that’s going to happen, whichever one it is. In fact, I am hoping he is going to have a quiet game.”

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