Hibs’ defender Paul Hanlon will miss Sunday’s game against Celtic at Easter Road with a thigh strain.
Hanlon, who turned 24 yesterday has been in top form since the arrival of Terry Butcher and Maurice Malpas was injured in training last week and watched the 3-2 defeat to St Mirren from the West Stand at the weekend.
The injury could take up to three weeks to heal, but Butcher hopes that he will only miss one game as Hibs have a free weekend as their game against Inverness on 1 February has been postponed because the highlanders are in the semi-final of the League Cup against Hearts the following day.
All things being well, Hanlon could make his return to the first team for the Scottish cup tie against Raith Rovers on 8 February.
With James McPake still recovering following an operation on his back, and Ryan McGivern likely to be out for several weeks after limping off on Saturday, Butcher is likely to retain the same defence for the fixture against the champions who are determined to go through the season undefeated as finished on Saturday.
Jordon Forster who had been playing at right back will move into the centre alongside Michael Nelson with Alan Maybury and Lewis Stevenson making up the back four.
Photo by John Preece
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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.
