Lee Johnson is sending a clear message to Hibs fringe stars who are not making an impact as they could be cut from the club.
The Hibernian boss is preparing for a second-half of the season revival mission at Easter Road, after finishing up before the World Cup break with three straight defeats and slumping to eighth place in the table. It could be a crucial window for the Englishman who has already lost star man Martin Boyle for the remainder of the season through injury.
Top defender Ryan Porteous will also broker an exit, while the likes of Kevin Nisbet have not yet made their full return from the sidelines. There have been some notable transfer misfires so far also, shown by Harry McKirdy's lack of impact since sealing a move from Swindon Town in the summer.
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And Johnson is warning those on the Easter Road fringes that January could mean an exit from Leith, as he tries to trim his squad to a size fit for purpose. On Boyle, He said: “We can do our best to replace him but he is one of our stellar signings. If this was the MLS he would be our ‘marquee’ player.
“We just can’t cope in terms of maximising ourselves without our best players fit. Every team, everywhere in the land gets injuries but if you’re lucky it’s not to your best players. It’s disappointing but at the same time it gives other players opportunities.
“With two thirds of the season to play, and a very important cup opportunity, we have that laser focus on that prime 14, 15 players and getting the best out of those. We believe in the ones we’ve got – get them physically right and make them feel a million dollars.
“The first thing we need to do is trim the squad. We’ve far too many players at the club and far too many I don’t see as infiltrating the first team over the short to medium term. It can cause problems when you have an over-inflated squad because people want to play.”
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