Hibs set to sign Lithuanian Trakys

But boss John Hughes stressed the deal to bring 31-year-old Trakys to Easter Road had all but been completed before Duffy suffered his mishap in training on Friday. Hughes expects the final details on Trakys' contract to be hammered out today with the hitman pencilled in to play a bounce match for Hibs tomorrow.

While conceding Trakys was a different type of player, more a target man than Duffy, Hughes revealed he'll be pressing ahead with the deal having been left short of options in attack thanks to the former Falkirk star's injury.

Duffy will undergo an operation to pin the broken metatarsal on Thursday with Hughes resigned to losing the forward, whom he described as being a better player than when he was under his charge at Falkirk, for a lengthy period.

He said: "It was totally innocuous. There wasn't even anyone near Darryl when he said he had felt something 'pop'. He'll have his op and it will take as long as it takes to get him back.

"It's very unfortunate because Darryl had been looking absolutely fantastic in training. All the boys had been raving about him and he's a better player than when I had him five years ago at Falkirk."

Trakys has impressed on trial at Easter Road having left Greek outfit Panserraikos and Hughes believes the experience he has gained in his homeland, Belgium, Russia, Germany and Azerbaijan plus his 14 international caps will prove invaluable.

He said: "I'd been looking for him to fight it out with Colin Nish with either Derek Riordan or Darryl up-front but I think Valdas will do us a number."

On a brighter note, goalkeeper Graham Stack, out with a back problem in recent weeks, could play part of tomorrow's closed-doors game.

Hibs Under-19s enjoyed a comprehensive victory over St Johnstone at the weekend, their four goals coming from Danny Handling (two), Lewis Horner and Philip Addison.