Keeper Brown will get chance to make Mark, says Hibs boss

• Mark Brown

The 28-year-old, who won't feature in today's crucial SPL clash with Falkirk after spraining a wrist in training, became the second goalkeeper to be signed by Hughes during the January transfer window, joining Graeme Smith in a four-way fight for the gloves with Graham Stack and Yves Ma-Kalambay.

But, while Smith has shared the goalkeeping duties with Stack since his arrival four weeks before Brown, who was freed by Celtic as he became third choice behind Polish pair Artur Boruc and Lukasz Zaluska, has yet to taste first team action for Hibs.

Today, though, Hughes insisted he didn't see Brown as third or even second choice, claiming the one-time Rangers, Motherwell and Inverness Caledonian Thistle keeper was on a par with his rivals.

Hughes, who also signed Stack from Plymouth Argyle last summer, said: "Mark is more than capable of holding down the No.1 position. There's not much between the three of them. I'm looking for healthy competition and I hope they'll push each other along.

"But it is a long-term thing we are looking at here, I wanted to put the goalkeeping situation to rest. Mark just needs to be patient, to await that chance and grab it.

"I've been delighted with his attitude, he's a real glutton for hard work, his work ethic is fantastic."

Hughes also insisted that Ma-Kalambay also remains in his plans, although the Belgian is out of contract at the end of this season.

Meanwhile, Hughes revealed he's hopeful injury victims Alan Gow and Kevin McCann will soon be vying for a return to first-team action although, he admitted, Hibs' hectic schedule at the moment has hindered their progress.

On-loan forward Gow has been out with a hamstring problem while McCann, out for 18 months with tendinosis in his right knee, has been hit by a series of injuries since the opening day of the season.

Hughes said: "With us playing Saturday-midweek-Saturday, training has had to be reined back a bit to keep the players fresh for the games, which have been coming thick and fast.

"We'd be taking a bit of a chance to throw either Alan or Kevin straight back in but, hopefully, we'll be able to do so after they've had a couple of bounce games."

However, with his options reduced with Paul Hanlon sidelined as he nurses a pelvic problem and skipper Chris Hogg and playmaker Merouane Zemmama only now returning from injury, Hughes added: "If needs must, we might just have to go for it."