Hibs skipper Ian Murray facing nervous wait after op

Hibs skipper Ian Murray will have to wait up to ten days to discover if the operation to cure the groin injury which has been troubling him for weeks has been a total success.

Murray went under the knife in Leicester a week ago, using the same surgeon who successfully dealt with a similar problem a couple of years ago and believes everything has again gone to plan.

However, he won’t know for sure for the next seven to ten days. The 30-year-old said: “I think the operation was a success; the early indications are that it is fine.

“It was the right side of my groin which has been sore for the past three-and-a-half months. We tried other ways of managing it with injections, rest and rehabbing it with the physios.

“But it wasn’t getting much better. The surgeon we used down south was the same guy we used a couple of years ago to deal with my left side.

“It was a fairly minor operation, it involved the removal of a ligament which is now out and hopefully that will take away the pain. Hopefully I’ll be back in training in three weeks; that’s the ideal situation.”

Murray’s absence, along with a one-match ban picked up by Sean O’Hanlon following a sixth booking of the season has given boss Pat Fenlon a headache ahead of Saturday’s crunch SPL clash with fellow strugglers Dunfermline.

But Fenlon today insisted he can plug the gap, expressing his faith in Under-21 internationalists David Stephens and Paul Hanlon as Hibs aim to widen the one-point advantage they enjoy over the Pars to four.

Fenlon revealed that progress has been made towards adding to the signing of Irish striker Eoin Doyle, although he was unable to say whether there would be any further arrivals before the weekend.

Having enjoyed his first win as Hibs boss, a 3-2 victory over Second Division leaders Cowdenbeath in the William Hill Scottish Cup, Fenlon is anxious to add to that at East End Park.

He said: “It’s as big a game as last weekend, another Cup tie if you like. We’d dearly love another win both for the points and to help build confidence.”

Meanwhile, Hibs will discover later today whether their decision to turn down the “offer” of a one-match ban to striker Leigh Griffiths, accused of making an offensive gesture at Central Park, has been successful.