Derby crisis: Hibs boss facing Hearts clash without seven first teamers

HIBS boss Mixu Paatelainen was today facing a player crisis ahead of Thursday night's derby as he pondered the prospect of travelling to Tynecastle without SEVEN first team regulars.

Paatelainen already knew he'd be without the suspended trio of Rob Jones, Sol Bamba and Colin Nish for the final clash of the season with Hearts.

But now the Easter Road outfit could be making the short journey across the city also missing Chris Hogg, Denes Rosa, David van Zanten and Grzegorz Szamotulski.

Hogg will join Jones, Bamba and Nish on the suspended list if an appeal against the red card he was shown during Saturday's defeat by Dundee United fails while goalkeeper Szamotulski has already been all but ruled out.

Szamotulski, who has been battling a knee injury in recent weeks, sat out the visit from his old club and Paatelainen fears he won't be fit in three days' time while midfield star Rosa and full-back Van Zanten were both injured against United.

Van Zanten was receiving treatment after taking a boot in the face when referee Stevie O'Reilly flashed the red card at Hogg following his challenge on United winger Craig Conway, a decision described as "harsh" by both Paatelainen and Tannadice boss Craig Levein.

To add salt to Hibs' wounds, Tayside substitute David Goodwillie claimed the winner as the home side were reduced to just nine men, so ending the Edinburgh club's already faint hopes of claiming a place in the Europa League next season.

Paatelainen, who is hoping to have a decision on Hogg made sooner rather than later to help his preparations for Thursday night, said: "I thought Chris went totally and wholeheartedly for the ball, it was not malicious or over-aggressive and was possibly a yellow card, no more than that."

Without Hogg, Jones and Bamba, Paatelainen would be forced to field a makeshift central defensive partnership against Hearts with Ian Murray most likely joining Steven Thicot, who deputised for his skipper at the weekend, in the back four.

But, Paatelainen revealed, that's not an end to his worries. He said: "The problem does not stop there, we have another four or five nursing injuries.

"We are going to have plenty of players missing through injury and suspension but we will have 11 fit players and it will be up to them to do the job."

Rosa picked up a muscle injury in a tackle from David Robertson, a challenge which earned the United midfielder a yellow card, and is a "wait and see" according to Paatelainen who has his fingers crossed Van Zanten will recover in time.

Today Paatelainen explained the delay in replacing Van Zanten with Darren McCormack – a possible contender for a place on Thursday but one which would need careful consideration given his recent conviction for assault on Hearts striker Calum Elliot.

He said: "We thought it was just going to take a minute or so and that David would be able to carry on but unfortunately the physio wasn't able to stop the bleeding."