David Gray admits he’s got decisions to make regarding who makes up the left-hand side of his Hibs team.
Gray can now choose between Jordan Obita – who has recently returned from suspension – Nicky Cadden and Jack Iredale.
All three started against Celtic at the weekend as Gray decided to shore up his defence at the toughest venue in the Premiership.
But it’s likely Gray will revert back to the 3-4-1-2 formation he has adopted since the thrilling 3-3 draw with Aberdeen and subsequently since.
That means one of Obita, Iredale or Cadden will miss out and Gray acknowledges the fierce competition he has now on the left-hand side.
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Jordan Obita return gives Gray ‘decisions to make’
On Obita, Gray said: “Yeah, obviously you know what Jordan’s got, brilliant left foot and obviously just the defensive side of the game.
“He’s got the athleticism to deal with the way Celtic play, which is purely why he came back in that environment.
“And I’ve got decisions to make every single week now, with players playing competition all over the pitch.
“So it’s good to have him back and available, after missing a couple of games. Moving forward, we’ll just have to wait and see.
Jack Iredale and Nicky Cadden praised
“We’ve now got strength in depth on that left-hand side”, Gray continued.
“We’ve got Jack Iredale, who’s come in and done really well, Nicky Cadden, who’s come in and done really well, so it’s good to have more options and more players fit and available in these positions.
“Early in the season, Jordan was probably the only player who was able to do what we wanted in that position with the way we were playing.
“So he had to turn up every week, put in a lot of performances, play through a lot of games earlier in the season because Jack wasn’t quite up to speed when he signed, he wasn’t fit. Nicky the same, missing pre-season.
“So he probably played a lot of games in a short period of time. But now there are other players who can play there and provide competition, which will be a good thing for Jordan as well.”