AN extra week off and months of bragging rights will be the reward for the Hibernian players if they beat Hearts this Saturday.
Neil Lennon promised his players a holiday after the Premiership finishes for three weeks after this Saturday but only if his men win the derby, a game which is a difficult one to predict.
Hearts could be considered favourites. They are higher up the league, Stephen Naismith is back and scoring goals, while Hibs have eleven players, several of whom would have started tomorrow, missing through injury and three of them, Mark Milligan, Martin Boyle and Jamie MacLaren have been called up Australia.
Marvin Bartley is a major doubt, while Thomas Agyepong, Harry Marvais and Miquel Nelom are still side-lined. And Lewis Stevenson tweaked his hamstring at Ibrox so he is definitely out.
Highly-rated centre half Ryan Porteous is expected to miss the game with a knee injury, while goalkeepers Ofir Marciano and Ross Laidlaw are unavailable,
If Hibs could pull off a victory then they would deserve a late Christmas present.
“The gaffer says he’ll give us a week off if we win so there’s a big incentive there,” revealed Darren McGregor, the Hibs defender who also so happens to be a supporter so knows what this fixture means.
“If we lose, he’ll probably have us in, I don’t want to think about that. The incentive is there, going into the break having picked up three points against your arch rivals would be great but it’s going to be a difficult game.
“Our league position is not ideal, we’d like to be higher up the table. But there’s not much between the teams, I think we are doing the right things and that’s us unbeaten in six albeit we have only won a couple of games.
“But we are not far away, we are definitely working towards something and hopefully going to Ibrox and coming away with a point gives us confidence to take into the weekend.
“I love the derby. It’s the rivalry, the fans love it. The build up to it that’s why you are in the game to play at great stadiums such as Ibrox and Easter Road against your arch enemies; that’s why football is such a great game.”
And then there is the Lennon-Craig Levein element, which always adds to the occasion.
“I think it’s all part of the game, you get rivalries whether it’s players and manager,” said McGregor. “I think deep down those two really like each other. It’s maybe a bit showmanship, both managers want to win, they are both feisty in their own right so it’s great.
“As long as it stays on the park, in the confines of the game. It’s great because it motivates us and the fans.”
McGregor scored a tremendous header at Ibrox on Boxing Day which secured a point for Hibs who always seem to do a number on Rangers even, and this was the case here, when they are far from at their best.
They sit eighth in the table. But this is a league in which a few wins can see any team in the top eight leapfrog their way to a top four place in a flash.
“I think we could definitely be doing more in games to either see them out or to win,” said McGregor. “There’s been some instances of slackness - from myself as well - that’s caused us to lose goals. It’s something we are working on.
“But we should definitely be doing more to win games. Come the end of the season we want to pick up as many points as we can, but coming to Ibrox and getting a point is a good point.”
The good news for Hibs is Sean Mackie, an academy graduate and at 20 looks a superb prospect. He was excellent against Rangers, it was his cross which led to McGregor’s goal, and he’s clearly bursting with natural talent.
As McGregor said: “Sam assisted with the goal, he was doing Cruyff turns and Zidane turns in the middle of the pitch.
“He is full of confidence and sometimes when a door closes it opens for someone else.”
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