HIBS boss John Hughes today revealed Moroccan playmaker Merouane Zemmama is facing a race against time to be fit for Saturday's derby at Tynecastle.
And Hughes also disclosed he's had to send a couple of his stars home in a bid to prevent a bug spreading through the dressing room ahead of the first clash of the season with Hearts.
Zemmama limped out of the action against Aberdeen after only 15 minutes, the little midfielder having suffered a groin injury.
And, although Hughes expressed a hope at the time he'd be ready for the trip to Gorgie, today he admitted the club's medical staff were "working round the clock" in a bid to have him ready for the lunchtime kick-off.
Hughes, however, is prepared to give 25-year-old Zemmama every chance as Hibs head across the Capital seeking a seventh SPL match without defeat and the chance to open up a 14-point gap on their arch-rivals.
He said: "Zouma is struggling a bit, it's touch and go at the moment. The doctors and physios are working round the clock on him and we'll give him every chance.
"We hope he will make it but if he doesn't it will be someone else. Young Kurtis Byrne came on for Zouma last weekend and, once he found his feet, did very well and supplied a great cross for our opening goal.
"I've said all along that we've been very fortunate with injuries so far this season. I've got a number of players who have had to be very patient as they've waited for an opportunity to play and they'll be champing at the bit."
Hughes, who has named the same starting XI for the past four matches as Hibs have soared to second place in the SPL table, revealed, however, that the fitness of Zemmama wasn't his only concern.
He said: "We've had one or two sniffles and we immediately told the players concerned to go straight home.
"It's more a precautionary move as we don't want to run the risk of whatever it is spreading. We'll get the boys back together tomorrow and see how things stand."
Hughes, meanwhile, refused to get involved in a war of words with Aberdeen over the events of Saturday which saw Dons players Maurice Ross and Chris Maguire sent off and 16-year-old Fraser Fyvie stretchered off following a challenge from Ian Murray which everyone, bar the Pittodrie club, saw as hard but perfectly fair.
Hughes would say no more than he'd been in touch with the Pittodrie club to pass on Hibs' best wishes to Fyvie.
Hibs today launched half-season tickets for the final 11 home matches in the SPL, valid from the visit of Rangers on December 27. Prices for adults range from £190 to £220 for adults; £45 to £90 for those aged between 15 and 18 and students while senior citizen prices range from £70 to £110.
