Hibs left counting the cost of injuries and international call-ups as Nick Montgomery reveals request

A number of players are set to miss New Year match against Motherwell.

With Josh Campbell the latest player to be sidelined by a lengthy injury, the possibility of guys like Martin Boyle, Lewis Miller and Rocky Bushiri missing up to half a dozen games due to international commitments has left Hibs boss Nick Montgomery in a quandary.

The Scottish midfielder will have a scan in the next couple of days to ascertain the extent of the ankle injury sustained in the midweek derby – but his boss already knows he will be unable to help him in Tuesday afternoon’s league match against Motherwell. He will also be without the Australian duo and the Congolese defender, along with back-up goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott, who is part of the extended Ghana squad as they set off for the Asian Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations respectively. And, while the Easter Road gaffer says he will have “to get on with it”, he would love to see them return sooner rather than later.

“We did ask for all the selected players to be available for the Motherwell game and go the next day,” said Montgomery. “But I understand, if they let one or two then every club will want the same and it becomes an issue. We were told they need to be released on January 1. It’s frustrating but what we can’t do is dwell on it. You have to get on with it.

Hibs midfielder Josh Campbell goes down injured during the league clash with Hearts at Easter Road. Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group

“You don’t want your better players missing, especially when you’re in the situation we are in where we’re light on bodies. Everybody can see that. But you also want them to do well so, yeah, we’ll be watching their games. Potentially they could be missing for three to six games if I have done the math correctly. But we can’t control that. What we can do is try and get the other boys back fit and training during the break, which is the challenge I’ve given the physios. And we’re also looking at trying to bring in a few new faces within the means we have and that is not easy.”

That list of injured personnel, which already included Chris Cadden, Jake Doyle-Hayes, Adam Le Fondre, and Harry McKirdy, was added to when Campbell was carted off on Wednesday. While there is relief that things do not seem as bad as first feared, he will still be out for a month, increasing the need for reinforcements. “Josh has been great for me,” said Montgomery. “He’s been performing well and it’s unfortunate. He was performing well the other night and I think Dylan Levitt fell on him. I think the ref was in the way as well. So to be injured by one of your own players is disappointing, because he has become an integral part of the squad and the team in the last five-to-six weeks after a frustrating start for him.

“We’re hoping we can get him back on the pitch towards the end of January with the rest of the boys we mentioned before but he still has to have a scan so we’re going off a quick x-ray after the game. Josh is a tough lad, he never goes down unless it’s something serious. But a scan in the next couple of days, when the swelling has gone down, will give us a clearer indication of how long he’ll be out.”