Jack's fitness battle for Athens return
Injury could see change in plans
for McLeish
(Stuart Crowther)MATHIAS
JACK WILL TODAY be on the treatment table at Easter Road as he fights
to recover from a foot injury that could keep him out of Hibs rearranged
UEFA Cup tie against AEK Athens on Thursday evening.
The German has proven in
the past to be a quick healer from such injuries, and that will be needed
again if Hibs are to field what is considered to be their best starting
line up on their return to the European stage for the first time in nine
years. "Mathias got a really sore one,
studs on the top of his foot, and we will need to wait and see how it is
but he will definitely be sore today,"
Hibs assistant boss Andy Watson revealed last night. But Watson was
not prepared to count out the influential midfielder just yet: "We've
seen it all before with Mathias in particular, you feel it when you come
off but then the heat goes out of it and the swelling kicks in. We
will have to monitor it but we hope Mathias makes it because he is at the
top of his form at the moment."
Brewster celebrates his debut goal for the club (sns)
Another player who left
the field injured on Saturday was Tom McManus, but the signs are good in
his case with Watson saying: "Tam is starting
to put himself about a bit and as a result is picking up a few knocks for
all the right reasons. He is being a pain the neck for a few
defenders. He has seen himself get the opportunity to play and in
fairness to him he is working hard both in terms of getting behind the
opposition and when they have the ball in chasing out to the wide areas to
make tackles." McManus
appears to have taken a few head knocks in the last two games against
Motherwell and Dunfermline, but recovered quickly and demonstrated amazing
determination to get on with the job. This has provided Hibs with a
sharpness in attack that many thought would be missing with the departure
of Mixu Paatelainen.
The young striker has
teamed up well with veteran Craig Brewster, another player who will be
vital to Hibs chances on Thursday given his experience of three years in
Greek football - and therefore no stranger to the pressures Hibs will be
put under. But the win for Hibs on Sunday, along with a debut double
strike for Brewster, has increased confidence greatly as the former Dundee
United star said: "The result certainly sets us
up nicely for the trip to Greece. It's a big game for the club but
we are going there with a couple of victories behind us, which is
good. I think we'll have the advantage that they've yet to play
a competitive match this season but it is vital we start the game well. We
have a couple of young boys in the team in Tam and Ian Murray but if they
can handle the surroundings early on and we play as we did against
Dunfermline - I felt we played some great stuff - then the surroundings
mean nothing."
Hibs fans have clamoured
for a return to the Greek capital, with over 200 seeking to take up the
club's offer of subsidised travel for the game on Thursday. Not all
it seems will be accommodated by the limited offer, leaving a few
frustrated supporters at home but with the consolation of knowing the game
is still to be screened live by BBC Television. Hibs.net are
seeking clarification on the process by which the club plan to claim
compensation from UEFA and also the procedures for refunds of unused match
tickets for the postponed game, and this information will be published
later today.
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