HIBERNIAN ARE sweating over the fitness of Joe Newell for Friday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Inverness Caley Thistle.
But Fraser Murray is set to miss the tie with a ban after being red-carded playing for the club’s reserves on Monday.
Newell was a late withdrawal from the side to play Livingston at the weekend, with the midfielder succumbing to an ankle injury just minutes before kick-off.
The midfielder, who was replaced in the starting line-up by Lewis Stevenson, has been on top form for the Easter Road side but picked up a knock in the previous week’s victory over Kilmarnock.
After being forced to sit out Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Livi, Newell will be assessed by the club’s medical staff ahead of the clash with Caley Thistle.
Manager Jack Ross told Hibs TV: “Joe suffered the injury at Rugby Park and only trained in the latter part of last week but had no reaction and felt good.
“Naturally, we didn’t want to change the team because it has been performing well.
“But he felt a recurrence of it in the warm-up and, at that stage, it’s better to make the change pre-game than it is in the early part of the game beacuse then you would use up one of your subs.
“It’s not a major problem, it’s just frustrating for him and for us that it flared up so late.
ASSESS
“I don’t think it will be something that will rule him out for a significant period of time but it’s obviously a quick turnaround to Friday again.
“So, we’ll assess him as the week goes on.”
Meanwhile, with the Scottish FA awaiting the referee’s report, Murray will be forced to sit out the visit of the Highlanders following his sending off in the reserves.
The 20-year-old was dismissed for serious foul play for a challenge on Barry Coffey in the 89th minute of Hibs’ 4-1 defeat to Celtic in their SPFL Reserve Cup semi-final.
Despite the incident coming in a second-string outing, the first match of the youngster’s two-game censure will apply to his next first-team game, ruling him out of Friday night’s tie.
Murray has been introduced as a second-half substitute in three of the last four matches and his absence will restrict the capital side’s attacking options for the Caley Thistle encounter.
