Paul Hanlon is ready to plug gaps

Bamba's failure to arrive as expected at Hibs training camp in Holland has left boss John Hughes planning for the trip to face Maribor on Thursday without the big defender, leaving 20-year-old Hanlon as the obvious replacement in the middle of the backline.

While unwilling to comment on the furore surrounding his absent team-mate, Hanlon admitted he'd be delighted if called upon for the first leg of the Europa League's third qualifying round, pointing out he's already had some experience having faced Swedish side Elfsborg in the Inter Toto Cup.

He said: "I don't know what is happening with Sol to be honest so I can't really comment on it.

"I want to be in the manager's thoughts for the game, every day I play I want to play my best, I try and do what he asks and if that means I'm in the starting line-up then I would be delighted with that."

Although he began his first-team career at left-back, the Scotland Under-21 star sees his long-term future in central defence, as does Hughes and, he insisted, he's ready to fulfil that potential.

He said: "I would maybe say I'm most comfortable at centre-half now. If you can play in as many positions as possible then you've got a chance to stay in the team. Centre half is where I've been playing most recently and I'm enjoying it so I will just try and learn as much as I can in that position.

"I take on the tips the gaffer gives me, I think I would be more worried if he was just ignoring what I was doing wrong. If I'm making mistakes I want him to tell me so I can put it right on the park. If he is shouting at me all the time and in my ear, I have to take it in and try and learn from it.

"He knows how he wants to play and all the players have bought into it and we're all trying to do what he says. If we can take that into our league form back home and play against teams like that then we're going to be difficult to beat."