Pat Fenlon is left feeling guilty over attack on Gary Deegan

HIBERNIAN manager Pat Fenlon has admitted to feeling guilty because of the injury suffered by Gary Deegan, having persuaded his fellow-Irishman to move to Easter Road.

• Hibernian manager Pat Fenlon ‘feels guilty’ over injury suffered by Gary Deegan after city centre assault

• Deegan will be out of action for several weeks after early-hours incident

The midfielder, who joined Hibs in the summer from Coventry, had his jaw broken in an alleged assault in the centre of the capital earlier this month and will be out of action for several weeks.

“We don’t have a time frame on it and we will just have to play it by ear and see how it goes,” Fenlon said. “Gary is a huge loss for us as he has been a quality player since he signed for the club. He’s a great asset to the team.

“I feel sorry for Gary and I feel a bit guilty and responsible myself, as I brought him here to play at this club and I convinced him to sign for Hibernian and to come here and play in this city. We’ll look after him and get him right, and it’s important to do that.

“It’s a difficult time for Gary as he is the type of fella that wants to play games and it is a frustrating time for him. The police will deal with the matter but we will look after him as a club.

Deegan sustained the injury in the early hours of the morning during a night out with team-mates following Hibs’ 3-0 win over Dundee. Fenlon added that he had no wish to impose a curfew on his players.

“I can’t lock them up seven days a week,” he said. “It’s an unfortunate thing.

“These things shouldn’t happen, but with society the way it is they do, and it is the same the footballing world over and it is not just here in this city that this kind of incident occurs. It happens in every city in the world, but when it comes home to you it’s disappointing.”

Deegan has been arguably Hibs’ most important player so far this season along with captain James McPake, but, having said how much he will be missed, Fenlon added that he had confidence in the two men who will be vying to take his place for tomorrow’s match at Ross County, Lewis Stevenson and Tom Taiwo. “We have quality players in Lewis and Tom who can come in, and they are chomping at the bit to play. One man’s misfortune is another’s fortune and this gives one of them a chance to play,” he said.

“Lewis was the player of the year for Hibs last season and we also have Tom who is highly regarded and played a lot of games. They have had to be patient because Gary was doing so well, but this gives one of them an opportunity to play now.”

A similar opportunity may present itself to a defender, as right-back Tim Clancy has a groin problem and is rated 50-50 for the trip to Dingwall. Captain McPake, however, has been passed fit following an achilles tendon strain.

“James is okay,” Fenlon said. “His achilles was giving him grief, but the good point about the [international] break was that we have been able to nurse James through that. One or two others who have been carrying niggles have been rested, but they should be fine for the Ross County game.”

Hibs are sure to be a different team from the last time they played at Victoria Park, when they lost a Scottish Cup quarter-final replay there in March 2010. What is unsure, however, is which Ross County side will turn up: the one that ran up an unbeaten run of 40 matches over last season and the first part of this, or the one which has lost its last three games.

Fenlon, for one, expects it to be the former. “I’ve been very impressed by Ross County. They had a fabulous start to life in the SPL and they have dropped a few points lately. The record of 40 league games unbeaten is some achievement and it’s the total reverse of what we’ve done in the last couple of seasons.

“They have a lot about them and there are days when they have not played well and still taken something and that is the hallmark of a good side. We know we’ll have to work hard to get anything. Good sides have gone there and come away with nothing, and we’ll have to make sure we get to the levels that we have reached this season.”

Meanwhile, winger Danny Galbraith and his agent had talks with Hibs officials yesterday. The winger has been struggling with a long-term injury and has been training on his own in a bid to return to full fitness. Fenlon said the situation with Galbraith had not changed.