Hibs boss worried injured goalkeeper Graham Stack faces lengthy lay-off

HIBS boss Colin Calderwood today admitted he fears the worst as goalkeeper Graham Stack headed for hospital and a scan on the shoulder injury sustained in last night's win against SPL basement outfit Hamilton.

Stack, playing only his fifth match after returning from a back problem which had kept him out of action since the opening day of the season, collapsed in obvious agony after being caught late by Accies defender Mark McLaughlin.

After a full three minutes of treatment on the New Douglas Park turf by physio Colin McClelland, the 29-year-old was replaced by Graeme Smith and left the pitch nursing his right shoulder.

Today, while able to confirm Stack hadn't dislocated his shoulder, Calderwood insisted the full extent of the injury and the length of any likely lay-off wouldn't be known until a complete assessment had been carried out.

He said: "We were hopeful Graham had just had the wind knocked out of him but it's looking like a real bad shoulder injury. In terms of what we are looking at I could not tell you other than the doctor says it is a serious one.

"The doctor was quite concerned, Graham felt terrible lying in the dressing room."

Smith took over from Stack just five minutes after Akpo Sodje had opened the scoring for Hibs, Derek Riordan adding a second only for a last-gasp consolation from Accies Flavio Paxaio subjecting the travelling support to a few anxious seconds before the final whistle signalled the Easter Road side's fifth successive win, a result which strengthens their hopes of a top-six finish only a month after being written off as relegation candidates.

With Mark Brown having been consigned to a seat in the stand over the past two months, it would appear likely Smith will continue in goal on Saturday as Hibs travel to face St Johnstone, the first of only two games they have left to play this month.

Given Calderwood's pessimistic forecast, it would seem unlikely Stack will be fit for the subsequent trip to Celtic Park on March 16 and possibly even the third Edinburgh derby of the season at the beginning of next month.

His loss will be a major blow, Stack's return to action having coincided with Hibs embarking on their winning run.

And it will be a huge worry too for Stack who is out of contract at the end of the season and had vowed to play out of his skin in a bid to win a new deal at Easter Road.