Hibs’ defender James McPake will undergo surgery on a recurring back injury.
The former Livingston and Coventry player last played for Hibs in Pat Fenlon’s final game in charge against Hearts in the League Cup, and was sent off near the end.
He was due to start Terry Butcher’s debut match against St Mirren but was forced to withdraw with a back problem.
Butcher told the club website: “James trained two weeks ago and his back flared up again. He was going to have an operation at the end of last season but it was felt perhaps rest over the summer would be good. It hasn’t been the case.”
“He has had quite a few injections this season and it has come back to the scenario where an operation is hopefully going to sort things out and he can get back to action next year.”
“He has been a very good captain for Hibernian Football Club. Now he is not the captain and Liam Craig is, he has helped Liam out enormously with tasks and what to do. He has been fantastic.”
Meanwhile, Kevin Thomson is expected to return to training on Thursday after missing the Scottish Cup win at Ross County while fellow midfielder Scott Robertson should be fit for Saturday’s Scottish Premiership meeting with Partick Thistle after coming off with a tight hamstring in Dingwall.
Long term injury victim Tim Clancy continued his comeback for the under 20s in the 7-1 win over Dunfermline at the Energy Assets Arena in Livingston.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
