Hibs manager Jack Ross has insisted exciting youngster Jamie Gullan is ready to play from the start against Aberdeen this weekend.
The talented 20-year-old came off the bench to score his first senior Hibees goal against Inverness Calendonian Thistle in the Scottish Cup last week.
He was again named as a substitute against Hearts on Tuesday, coming on in the second half for the last 25 minutes.
Ross believes in youngster Gullan (Photo by Ewan Bootman/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Following that game, Hibs striker Marc McNulty has been hit with a notice of complaint by the SFA for a stamp on Sean Clare. The club have opted not to appeal.
The incident was missed at the time by referee Kevin Clancy and his assistants, but the 27-year-old has been banned retrospectively.
That is likely to open the door for Gullan against Aberdeen at Pittodrie, and Ross has every faith in the starlet.
Hibs face Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Saturday (Photo by Scott Baxter/Getty Images)
He said (Hibs TV): “He’s ready to start the game. The only reason he’s probably not started is because we’ve been doing well and we’ve been doing well in an attacking sense.
“The other night he came on in difficult circumstances, I think we’d just conceded the second. With his first or second touch I think he put the ball straight out the pitch.
“At that time the atmosphere’s changed a little bit, so I look at things like that to see how players react and he was good after it. He was involved in our goal and he was bright.
“He’s ready, he’s a first-team player now for me.”
Gullan’s golden opportunity
With McNulty hit with a ban, there is a real opportunity at Pittodrie for Gullan to stake his claim.
Will Ross be tempted to throw Gullan in from the start? (Photo by Ewan Bootman/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Clearly Ross is a big fan of the youngster, who returned to the club in January after a loan spell with Raith Rovers.
Hibs have mainly played with two strikers since Ross took charge in November, but they started the season playing 4-2-3-1 with Christian Doidge as the lone attacker.
Whether Ross looks to try and bring that Paul Heckingbottom system back, or pair Gullan with Doidge remains to be seen.