John Hughes reveals Stack recall was to help revitalise Bamba

The Ivory Coast defender has struggled to recapture his impressive early-season performances at Hibs since his country's surprise quarter-final early exit from the tournament in Angola last month. Bamba came back at the end of January after more than a month away from SPL action and promptly netted an own goal nine minutes into his return game against St Mirren.

Hibs bounced back to win 2-1, but Bamba has yet to be on a winning side since, after a draw with Aberdeen and last week's three away defeats in a row at Rangers, St Johnstone and Motherwell.

The 25-year-old, who has been coveted by bigger clubs, was especially out of sorts at McDiarmid Park where the home side ran riot to win 5-1, Hibs' biggest defeat of the campaign.

The Easter Road manager reacted by recalling ex-Arsenal keeper Stack for Saturday's 1-0 loss at Motherwell after almost three months on the sidelines.

Smith's concession of ten goals in three games was thought to be the reason, but Hughes claims Stack's colourful character in bringing out the best in Bamba was behind the change.

Hughes said: "I don't think 'Buzz' (Smith] has done too much wrong, although I'd like to think any goalkeeper over three games would be disappointed in losing ten goals.

"But I just think big Sol needs a hand at this moment in time. When I say he needs a hand, I just feel since he has come back from the African Nations he has just not been the Sol Bamba we know.

"And I've just noticed about Sol's character that he likes a relationship with someone – to keeping him going, gee him along, help him. Stacky certainly does that, so I've put him in there, just to help Sol.

"Graeme Smith will be saying, 'Drop Sol, why me?' But trust me, I need Sol's physical presence in the team. We need that for now until the end of the season. As a manager, you need to find that balance."

Hughes says he is toying with the idea of moving Bamba back into a midfield role to provide his team with more solidity, admitting he needs to bring a stronger build of player to the club. He added: "I'd like to bring in big 6ft 2in, 6ft 3in midfielders, but at this moment in time they are not there. We are a small side and it's something we're going to try and look to address when the time is right."

Third-placed Hibs seek to put their European tilt back on the rails when St Johnstone visit Easter Road on Saturday.

Hughes hopes his players are out for quick revenge and added: "We need to deal with it, try and learn from it this weekend. I was hoping we were past all that, in terms of feeling a bit sorry for ourselves. I felt we capitulated at St Johnstone.

"Apart from them being on the front foot and physically being a stronger team than us, tactically I also felt I picked the wrong team."