Three players almost certainly ruled out, another four on international duty, one new signing's involvement uncertain due to work permit and international clearance waits, and an away cup tie against a team struggling in the lowest tier of the SPFL. The return to domestic action for Hibs is, putting it politely, an interesting one.
Nick Montgomery's squad was already looking a little threadbare anyway and the arrival of Hertha Berlin winger Myziane Maolida, while a welcome addition to the attacking ranks, hasn't solved the selection issues. The departures of Martin Boyle and Lewis Miller, and Rocky Bushiri and Jojo Wollacott to the Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations respectively further stretched the numbers, to the extent that two academy-age goalkeepers, a Leeds United youngster, and an out-of-work Brazilian playmaker joined the Capital club during their winter training camp in Dubai partly just to make up numbers. And as the head coach revealed during an interview with HibsTV, one tentatively planned bounce game in the UAE had to be shelved due to a lack of bodies.
READ MORE - Hibs make first January signing as Myziane Maolida joins from Hertha Berlin
Even if Montgomery had wanted to shuffle his pack for the trip to Station Park, his options are severely limited, and with the manager tending to decide on a starting XI as late as possible, he might well be waiting to see if Maolida gets the green light for involvement.
Most of the starting line-up is easy enough to predict. David Marshall will almost certainly start in goal behind a back four of Rory Whittaker, Will Fish, Paul Hanlon, and Jordan Obita. The central midfield pair will be two of Jimmy Jeggo, Dylan Levitt, and Joe Newell with Jake Doyle-Hayes still some way off, and the wide players will likely be Jair Tavares on one side and Élie Youan on the other, assuming Maolida's clearance doesn't come through in time, although even if it does the Comoros internationalist could well start on the bench.
That leaves Dylan Vente or Christian Doidge up top and a space for the supporting striker. Doidge and the Dutchman started together against Motherwell, but with question marks remaining over how much game time Harry McKirdy can manage Montgomery might want a bit of experience on the bench - just in case.
With Martin Boyle away with Australia, Josh Campbell sidelined, Adam Le Fondre still working his way back to fitness, and a slim chance of Josh Landers getting the nod from the start, is there an argument for handing Rudi Molotnikov his first senior competitive start in green and white?
A powerful, energetic, and versatile ten by trade, he has impressed during his brief substitute cameos since Montgomery's arrival and in his admittedly limited time on the pitch, has posted some eye-catching numbers - such as an average of 7.07 successful dribbles per 90, 4.24 fouls won per 90, 2.83 pressure regains per 90, and an xG of 0.17.
He's actually a very similar player to Campbell in terms of being able to float about in the final third, drift out wide, and provide a goal threat; something Hibs have struggled with in recent weeks.
Still just 17 - he doesn't turn 18 until late March - Molotnikov has been in consistently good form for the reserves and under-18s, and showed up well during the club's UEFA Youth League run last season, scoring the winner against Nantes in France.
He made his debut for the under-18s while he was still 15 and unlike many of his cohorts in the youth ranks, has a physicality that belies his years.
He also has regular involvement with Scotland at under-16, under-17, and under-19 level under his belt and his attributes seem to align with what Montgomery wants from his forwards: energy, work rate, attacking threat, flexibility.
Pitching him in from the start against Forfar would not feel like a token gesture, nor would it be a huge risk. There are elements of his game that need work, of course - the high number of turnovers could be a cause for concern but it's not that much higher than the league average and it is of course skewed by a lack of minutes - but he could play the supporting striker role that Campbell filled to great effect at times during the first half of the season and being trusted from the start would do his confidence a power of good.
The cup tie against Forfar is, in some ways, a no-win situation for Hibs. Win handsomely by a significant margin befitting the gap between the teams in the Scottish football pyramid and the response will be muted; win narrowly, and the reaction will be one of doom, gloom, and dread. Draw, and the reaction will be much the same yet amplified by 1,000. Lose? It doesn't bear thinking about. For those reasons, and the fact that there aren't an awful lot of players to choose from, Montgomery will surely play a strong starting XI with some potential game-changers on the bench.
Molotnikov for 70-75 minutes followed by McKirdy for the last 15 or 20 could work for both parties. The 17-year-old feels ready to start - it all depends on whether Montgomery, who has a storied history for placing his trust and faith in younger players, decides that the time is right.
Read the rules here