John Hughes says Sean Welsh future looks rosier

The young midfielder feared the worst as he was flown home for a scan, his left knee secured in a brace, the latest blow for a player who shattered his right leg as a teenager and little more than a year ago broke a foot, so denying him the chance to lead Hibs Under-19 side to League and Cup glory.

Welsh's agony was deepened by the knowledge his contract expires at Christmas, placing a genuine fear over his future. But today, Hughes was delighted to report that while Welsh will need an operation, the 20-year-old could be back training in the next four to six weeks.

The Easter Road manager said: "It's good news, if you can say that. There's no ligament damage, he's tweaked the cartilage. He'll need surgery but I am sure it will be a great relief to him to learn it's not as bad as first thought given he left here fearing the worst."

Welsh made the trip to the Netherlands having impressed Hughes since returning for pre-season training, the manager believing he was finally displaying the attributes to make the breakthrough to the first-team squad having been one of seven from that successful Under-19 side to be promoted.

Hughes said: "Some of them possibly felt they'd come in and it would just happen for them, perhaps the transition was just too much for them. Some took to it better than others, David Wotherspoon and Paul Hanlon, for instance.

"I think it's probably taken them a year for the penny to drop. Sean's talent has never been in doubt, he was the academy player of the year, but you can see he's matured, he's worked to get himself into shape and I'd been thinking he'd be there or thereabouts this season.

"He'll be able to keep working away on his upper body strength and hopefully he won't lose too much of the hard work he's put in pre-season. We'll make sure of that."