Why Hibs' Martin Boyle won't face Andorrans as update given on Jordan Obita and more incomings

Hibs' Martin Boyle is progressing well with his recovery from injury but won't be risked against Inter Club d'Escaldes.

The Australian has not played for Hibs since October after having surgery on an ACL injury that ended his season prematurely and denied him the chance to represent the Socceroos at the World Cup. The 30-year-old, however, is back in training following a gruelling recovery period and while Hibs return to competitive action on Thursday night in Andorra for the first leg of their European clash, Boyle will not feature.

“We wouldn’t risk Martin if we were playing Celtic or Hearts for this one, because he’s just not ready in terms of the markers he has to hit,” Hibs manager Lee Johnson revealed after watching his team prepare for Europe with a 2-1 win over Dutch club Groningen on Friday evening. “He’s very close and he’s doing fantastically well. But it’s just the strength he needs to make sure matches up. He’s champing at the bit, but we’ve just got to hold onto him for another week or so.

“It’s eight and a half, nine months [Boyle as been sidelined], and there’s a big percentile swing if you put them in too early, particularly if there’s a slight strength issue. He doesn’t understand that, he’s a nightmare! But I feel sorry for him because he’s training really, really well. He’s actually training at a higher intensity than games produce anyway, so it’s understandable. But it’s just the chaos of a competitive fixture that is the risk. There’s a bit more control in training because people don’t smash into him, they know to look after their mate. But the chaos of a competitive game is just a little bit risky.”

Hibs manager Lee Johnson does hope to have Joe Newell and Lewis Miller available for selection.

Johnson is also unlikely to have new left-back Jordan Obita available due to a thigh issue, but midfielder Joe Newell and defender Lewis Miller are set to be involved after coming through a second friendly against Groningen at Hibs’ training centre over the weekend. “They could force their way in, yes,” Johnson responded when asked about Newell and Miller’s conditions. “Joe’s responded really well and they’re both fit lads anyway. There’s definitely a chance that both of those could feature in the squad. Jordan Obita, no. He’s got a myofascial tear, which is like the skin on a chicken, if you imagine that on a thigh. It’s not a long injury but you’ve got to let it heal. He was the furthest behind of all of our players because he had such a long off-season. Could he play? I don’t think he knows and we don’t know yet. So I would probably say 70-30 against on that one."

Johnson is happy with how the Hibs squad is shaping up – new defender Riley Harbottle made his debut against Groningen – but hinted at more arrivals. “I think there’s a couple of positions I would like to add to the group and what we’ve got,” the manager added. “But Rome wasn’t built in a day and finance is important as well, and there’s still a fair bit of time left in the window. I think we’ve got enough to be competitive in the first three or four games, and then we’ll see how we go."