Injured Hibs stars Stack and Nish facing race to get fit

Hibs stars Graham Stack and Colin Nish are facing a race against time to be fit for the opening match of the SPL season, away to Motherwell on Sunday, boss John Hughes revealed today.

Neither player made the trip to Blackpool as the Easter Road side completed their pre-season programme with a 2-1 win over the English Premier League new boys, Derek Riordan and Liam Miller claiming the goals after captain Jason Euell had given the Bloomfield Road club an eighth-minute lead.

Now, Hughes admitted, his first choice goalkeeper and striker, scorer of a hat-trick in that astonishing 6-6 draw the last time Hibs travelled to Fir Park, are giving him cause for concern.

An added problem for Hughes is that utility man Ian Murray is suspended for the opening two games of the season with Paul Hanlon likely to move to left-back, as he did yesterday, now that errant star Sol Bamba is back in the fold having returned late from World Cup duty with the Ivory Coast.

Both Stack and Nish are suffering from calf injuries sustained in the Europa League matches against Maribor.

Stack sustained his in the first leg in Slovenia and has since missed the friendly at Carlisle, the second leg of the Euro tie and the journey to the Lancashire seaside.

Nish took a knock in the return leg against Maribor and, like Stack, has been receiving intensive treatment since.

Hughes said: "They are starting to cause us a little bit of concern although we are hoping that both will train later in the week."

Meanwhile, 18-year-old David Stephens also missed yesterday's match having been called into the Welsh Under-21 squad which will face Malta in Valletta tomorrow night.