HIBERNIAN yesterday received a timely boost in their Uefa Cup quest with the news that key midfielder Guillaume Beuzelin is fit to play in the crucial Premier League clash with Dundee United this weekend.
However, Easter Road manager Mixu Paatelainen last night admitted time was running out in the race to have stand-in skipper Chris Hogg available for Sunday's encounter at Tannadice.
Beuzelin has suffered an injury-hit campaign and hasn't played
in nearly seven weeks after picking up a knee injury in last month's 2-1 defeat to Celtic.
But the French playmaker, who celebrated his 29th birthday earlier this week, has returned to training and could be pitched straight back into the action as fifth-placed Hibs look to leapfrog United one place above with a victory.
Paatelainen said: "Boozy is fit now and has been training with the squad so he is in contention for Sunday.
"Come Saturday we'll assess the situation and if we feel in order to win the game we should use him then he'll play.
"We'll try and field the best line-up we can and Boozy is a quality, experienced player who it is nice to have back in the squad. He hasn't played in a while but he should be able to handle it. His game is more about getting on the ball and dictating the flow of the match than just running."
However, Paatelainen, who will also be without captain Rob Jones through suspension, confessed the news on Hogg may not be as welcome.
The former Ipswich Town trainee twisted his knee and damaged ligaments in the 2-0 win over St Mirren at Easter Road almost a fortnight ago and is still training on his own with the physio.
Paatelainen added: "We'll give Chris as long as we can to make it but he's struggling, I must say."
Meanwhile, Paatelainen believes Scotland under-21 cap Ross Campbell can follow in the footsteps of Steven Fletcher after tipping the striker to enjoy a bright future in the game.
The 20-year-old scored his second successive double for the reserves in their 2-1 victory over Kilmarnock on Tuesday night but has managed only two appearances for the first team this season.
He commented: "Ross Campbell is in good goal-scoring form at the moment. He has a great future in the game.
"He is a very determined guy who works very hard, and in some ways he is very similar to Steven Fletcher.
"They are both good finishers and great technicians. Give either of them a chance and they will bury the ball.
"It's good to have strikers like that around, who are still young and learning the game. It's good to see Ross scoring goals regularly, he will be used in the first team before long."
The full article contains 478 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
