HIBS star Derek Riordan has been given the all-clear following fears he had broken a toe before pre-season training had even started.
Last season's top scorer spent last week receiving intensive treatment after hurting his foot while out running by himself as he prepared to report back with his team-mates to meet new manager John Hughes.
As a precaution he was sent for an X-ray with both player and Hughes breathing a sigh of relief when it came back clear.
Even so, as the rest of the squad began pre-season training yesterday in the searing heat which touched 90°F, Riordan was confined to lapping Hibs' East Mains Training Centre on a bike.
But Hughes was expecting Riordan to join in with the rest of the squad today. The Hibs boss said: "Derek had been doing a bit of work on his own but perhaps he's overdone it. He was in all last week getting treatment and we had his foot X-rayed as a precaution.
"It showed there wasn't a break which is great news. Derek is looking really lean, he should train with the rest of them today and our task is to get him right for the start of the action so we can get a really good season from start to finish from him."
Hughes was delighted to finally get down to work with his players nearly a month after succeeding Mixu Paatelainen as manager, his joy heightened at the sight of Kevin McCann back on the training ground after an absence of more than a year.
McCann was given the go-ahead by the specialist who operated to cure the tendinosis which had been plaguing him for more than 18 months and now, Hughes, admitted, the problem would be trying to keep the young defender in check.
He said: "It was great to see Kevin back. You could see he's had a long break from the game but he dug in and the most important thing was that he didn't have any reaction from the knee which was my main concern.
"Kevin wants to be right up there but I told him you don't do all your pre-season in one day. Towards the end of pre-season and when we start to play games I'm sure he'll be flying, but he can't be too hard on himself.
"As a whole I thought the squad was looking good although, as expected, there were one or two looking a bit better than others."
Hughes had promised his players they'd have the ball at their feet on the first day back and he was true to his word with only seven runs included in the session which saw the players go through 120 bottles as they tried to cope with the heat. The manager said: "The heat was a concern so it was vital the boys kept themselves hydrated. We had plenty of rest periods and stretching but I couldn't have asked for any more in terms of attitude and commitment."
Hughes also managed a quick chat with skipper Rob Jones whose future is subject to much speculation with the defender keen to return to England. Hughes said: "I'll be talking to him constantly, he knows I fully understand his situation but he also knows I am keen to keep him."
The full article contains 567 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
