Hibernian head coach David Gray has confirmed midfielder Jake Doyle-Hayes has completely recovered from the injury nightmare that prevented him from playing a competitive game for more than 14 months.
The Irishman last featured for the Easter Road side in their 5-0 home defeat by Aston Villa in the UEFA Europa Conference League in August 2023, as a 69th-minute substitute. He then made the bench a handful of times towards the end of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season and played 45 minutes in a pre-season friendly victory over Edinburgh City, but wasn't given an estimated time of return as club and player worked hard to ensure he would be over his injury problems after suffering a couple of recurrences.
"It's excellent for him, he deserves it for how hard he's trained," Gray said during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Wednesday night trip to Ross County.
"It's been a difficult time for him, frustration with injuries and challenges that we've had, but at the same time, it's just credit to how hard he's worked to get back in there. It's good to see him back on the pitch, and then the magnitude of the game and everything else just shows you I had no concerns about him coming on because of the type of player he is, his temperament and the quality he's got, which he's been showing in training recently."
Read more:
- Mykola Kukharevych at a loss to explain yet another late Hibs setback
- Hibs boss exasperated by players 'not doing their jobs'
- Hibs instant analysis: Same old story as Hearts snatch late point
The former St Mirren midfielder is still some way away from full match fitness because he 'hasn't had the game time in his legs', according to Gray, but he has been back training for some time and is building on his fitness, as well as featuring in Reserve Cup matches and bounce games.
Explaining his decision to pitch him into the white-hot action of an Edinburgh derby, Gray said: "He's played in these games before, he's that type of character that doesn't get phased by occasions, he's got quality on the ball, and he's been training well, so I've got no concerns over Jake Doyle-Hayes at all.
"With the quality he's got, how well he's trained, and just his attitude every single day, I think he's someone who - as with all the players we've got in the middle of the pitch - has real quality and that gives us strength in depth and competition for places. Like everybody else, he's got to work as hard as he can to try to get in the team, because there is a lot of competition in there as well.
"He's fully recovered [from his injury] and he's in a good place at the moment. He's working hard, doing all the things he needs to do, and he's available for selection, which is good."
Meanwhile, Gray and his medical staff will assess the first-team squad following Sunday's derby before making any calls on availability for the midweek game in Dingwall, but Joe Newell is back in contention after sitting out the derby through suspension.
"There are a few bumps and bruises from the game. Nicky Cadden had another session this morning so he's probably coming more into my thinking for this game. Chris Cadden didn't train this morning but he's getting closer too, which is good," Gray added.
Kieron Bowie remains a longer-term absentee as he recovers from a hamstring problem.
Read the rules here