Icelander Eggert Jonsson aiming to ground Hibs' European flight plans

The player whose home country has incurred the wrath of holidaymakers stranded all over the world says he has had to deflect good-natured stick from his team-mates concerned about their own close-season sojourns, but that will be nothing compared to the very real ire of Hibs fans should Hearts fulfil their ambition of overhauling their city rivals and squeezing them out of the Europa League qualification places.

"The lads have been (winding me up] because, obviously, it's only a short time until the holidays come and everybody wants to go away, fly away, and basically they blame me for everything!" jokes the player who is expected to make his 100th appearance for the club in next weekend's derby.

"They think I control the volcano or even Iceland controls the volcano. I just keep trying to tell them it's the earth, it's got nothing to do with Iceland. But I'm no expert on it all!

"The ash just goes up in the air and then the wind blows it straight off the island so it's not been affecting any domestic flights in Iceland. In my town, in Eskifjordur, where my family stay, it's not really close to the volcano. There has not been any ash falling down there and I think they have kind of got away with everything. You never know, if the wind direction changes, there could be dust and ash falling down there but it's not a dangerous situation for them."

There has been a wind of change in the Scottish capital, though. While Hibs dom-inated the good-news stories in the early part of the season, Hearts erupted back on to the scene around the turn of the year and a rally in performances and results presents them with the possibility of leapfrogging the Leith side in the final few games of the league campaign. Next week's derby will have a major bearing on that.

"I remember the gap between us was up to almost 20 points at one time and we thought we had lost them for this season. But we have had some good form and got into the top six and I think once you're in the top six anything can happen," says the versatile youngster, who is available for next weekend's head-to-head having served his one-match suspension against Motherwell yesterday.

"We won the last derby, we played really well and kind of dominated the game. In the end, it was maybe unfair we only beat them 2-1. The scoreline did not tell the whole story of the game.

"With the game coming up again, it is the last derby of the season and it's an important game, both teams are in the top six and fighting to get up the table. Hibs have been on a pretty poor run recently and dropped a bit in form so it will be a big game for both teams and with it being a derby there is even more emphasis to win the game.

"We want to try and overtake them, obviously. It's a big thing for the players and also the fans as well. What team finishes higher up the league, Hibs or Hearts, is a big thing but we know what they're capable of doing, we saw that at the start of the season. They have good players and a good squad as well. It's just whether they can get going again before the end of the season or not."

Hearts manager Jim Jefferies is hoping to capitalise on their recent lull but has defended his Hibs counterpart against some of the criticism that has come his way recently. Colleagues throughout long periods of their careers, Jefferies insists that John Hughes has done a commendable job, regardless how the final few matches pan out.

"He will have a fight on his hands to get fourth but even finishing in the top half is a good season for him as he has brought players in who are in their first season at the club and have realised what a big club it is.

"They'll probably be disappointed if they don't finish fourth because of the expectation earlier in the season but it's going to be a good battle and if he does finish fourth, I'll be the first to congratulate him but he knows we're at the back of him trying to deny him that position."