The unfortunate timing of Hibernian midfielder Dylan McGeouch’s injury

The unfortunate timing of Hibernian midfielder Dylan McGeouch’s injury

After finally receiving his first call-up for the Scottish national team this March, injury cruelly took the opportunity away from Dylan McGeouch. It was a terrible twist since the Hibernian midfielder had secured his place solely on merit. This was his first season as a regular starter in the Scottish Premiership and he has handled it with class and assuredness, establishing himself a dynamic presence in the Hibernian midfield.

He joined up with Alex McLeish’s squad for the friendlies against Costa Rica and Hungary but it was almost immediately announced that he’d be returning to Hibernian. Given he was one of 10 uncapped players in the squad, McGeouch could have fairly been expecting some game time, adding a further note of aggravation at his plight.

Injuries are sadly nothing new to the player, with McGeouch having missed significant periods of previous seasons. However, he had settled in as a virtual ever-present in Neil Lennon’s first-team this season, seemingly rid of his fitness problems.

Having strung together 16 consecutive games for his club prior to this new groin strain, it is a significant blow to Lennon and his team. With 8 league games left, the second place is firmly within Hibernian’s grasp, trailing Rangers currently by only 6 points.

During his time in the Scottish Championship, McGeouch has stood out as a talented performer but due to his onslaught of fitness issues, he is often regarded inconsistent when compared to fellow midfielder John McGinn. To be fair, much of Hibernian’s success this season has been down to his powerful running and stamina on the right side of the midfield. He combines well with McGinn and the duo play with perfect balance and understanding.

That said, it remains to be seen how long McGeouch will be sidelined for. However, Lennon can take solace in the fact that their next few fixtures are kind ones: they face Patrick Thistle, Hamilton, and Ross County. Barring unforeseen disasters in those unformidable fixtures, Lennon will be hoping that McGeouch will be fit enough for the tougher opponents that will present themselves in the post-split games.

Hibernian have performed astoundingly well against the big sides – even winning at Ibrox on two occasions – and McGeouch has always featured prominently for his team.

Given that he burst through in such spectacular fashion in 2011 with that 70-yard run to score for Celtic on his second appearance for the club, it’s remarkable that McGeouch is only 25 years of age. He’s at his peak and Hibernian will be wanting their player back to his best as soon as possible.