Rotation of Hibs keepers sees Stack return

COLIN CALDERWOOD will bring Graham Stack in from the cold against St Mirren tonight, keeping his promise to give each of his goalkeepers an equal chance to prove they're worth a new contract at Easter Road.

Stack, who hasn't played since the opening day of the season having suffered with a back problem, was in line to return in Sunday's SPL clash against Dundee United at Tannadice but was sidelined by a new injury.

The Hibs manager now has four keepers competing for the gloves, having signed Jakub Divis on a 12-month loan deal from Slovakian side Tatran Presov during the January transfer window, and is keen to see them all in SPL action.

Now 24-year-old Divis, too, will be looking for an opportunity to impress Calderwood before the end of the season.

Calderwood started his reign at the club with Mark Brown between the sticks but brought former Motherwell stopper Graeme Smith into the side for the Scottish Cup replay against Ayr United at Somerset Park.

Smith, who had previously only played in the home leg of the Europa League tie against NK Maribor in August, enjoyed a four-game run but he will find himself replaced tonight when Hibs host St Mirren in a vital SPL match.

Along with Smith, Stack is out of contract in the summer and Calderwood will rotate his goalies in a bid to make a decision on who he wants to keep at Easter Road in the long term.

Calderwood said: "I've got four keepers now and we'll work away. They all know what the position is. I gave them that information probably four or five weeks ago.

"Graham Stack will start tonight but they are all being given their opportunity and will get a run of games.

"Our new keeper, Jakub, won't play tonight, as he hasn't even seen any of the back four. He will get bedded-in. He has had a period off with the winter break, so he needs a bit of training and a longer introduction. For a game of this magnitude tonight, I think we have got to have some familiarity at the back.

"They will each have a run of games and then we will make a decision from there."

Calderwood admitted that tonight's game against St Mirren takes on extra significance because of the position Hibs find themselves in the SPL table.

However, he insisted that his players must travel to St Mirren Park with no fear, acknowledging that victory could act as a springboard for the rest of their season, saying: "We certainly need an urgency about our performance.

"The new boys have got to understand the situation and one another a little bit. We hope that becomes a cohesive unit. There were one or two nice signs in the game on Sunday.

"It's a big game but not a game we should be frightened of in terms of putting the group together and going and playing. I think that freshness and that desire to get their Hibernian careers started will be a good help. A win would certainly make a huge difference to us.

"We've got St Mirren coming up again soon, with Kilmarnock sandwiched in between, and these games will have an important influence on our season."

Meanwhile, Calderwood revealed that Merouane Zemmama had been desperate to link up with former manager Tony Mowbray at Middlesbrough. "Zouma was desperate to go, he told me straight and that was to be the best place for him," said Calderwood.