Hibs manager Paul Heckingbottom has admitted that he’s going to be forced into looking to replace Martin Boyle after it was confirmed the star needs to undergo a second knee operation.
(photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
Heckingbottom admits it’ll be difficult to replace the Australian but confessed he’s glad it didn’t come later in the transfer window.
“Martin’s stand-out asset with his pace, his energy. Looking at his physical stats when I first came in, his output in games, distance covered, high speed running, sprint distance were all a bit of a weapon in the way we want to play,” Heckingbottom told the Evening News.
“So that’s the quality that we’ll be looking to replace. That’s difficult, not everyone can run like him. It is what it is, at least we can react to it still being in the window. If it had been the beginning of September we couldn’t. So we’ll see what we can do.”
Whether Hibs now look at a loan signing or bringing someone in on a permanent deal isn’t clear but it sounds as though Boyle will be out for a lengthy period of time.
(photo by Alan Rennie/Action Plus via Getty Images)
Getting someone in before the end of the month now will be vital for Heckingbottom as he looks to build on his impressive start at Easter Road.
It won’t be easy finding someone who can contribute to the side in the same way Boyle did before his injury and it’s a big blow for Hibs to be without him going into the new season.