Tony wary of Tynie turmoil unsettling Hibs squad

HIBS boss Tony Mowbray today urged his players not to let events at Tynecastle disrupt their preparations for what he described a "massive" match against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Mowbray was at Celtic Park last night to watch Caley lose away from home in the SPL for only the second time in 18 months, a fact he insists highlights the task facing Hibs this weekend.

But the Easter Road outfit, who are desperate for a win to keep themselves in the race for European football next season, received a boost with the news that injury victims Michael Stewart, David Murphy, Ivan Sproule and Stephen Glass were all expected to resume training today.

Midfield ace Stewart missed the trip to Motherwell with a foot injury while the other three played despite carrying knocks. As a result they've spent the first half of the week receiving treatment but are now ready to prove their fitness.

Mowbray said: "Saturday is a massive game for us and I could see last night why they have only lost two away games in 18 months, both against Celtic."

The fact that Caley have also beaten Hibs in their previous two clashes adds to the threat posed by the Highland side and Mowbray, while admitting that, like everyone else, he was surprised by the sacking of Hearts coach Graham Rix, is determined that his players concentrate on picking up a vital three points.

He said: "I think anyone involved in football is intrigued, it's definitely not what normally happens in British football, managers losing their jobs on such a regular basis.

"Our players are professionals, they have their own job to do. It's a hard game this weekend but we are still in the race to finish as high as we can.

"We are at a very exciting stage of the season and what has happened on the other side of the city is another ingredient in the mix."

Hibs, of course, face Hearts in the semi-final of the Tennent's Scottish Cup a week on Sunday but Mowbray will demand that his players forget speculating on the impact Rix's dismissal may have on Hearts to focus on themselves.

He said: "I really don't want to talk about what is happening there. We have to play them in ten days' time and I cannot affect what happens across the city. We have to focus on our job and we have enough issues ourselves in making sure we get the right side out on the field without worrying about what they might do."

Mowbray, though, hinted at feeling a little sympathy for the plight of the Hearts players who now find themselves managerless for the third time in less than a year.

And he backed the Scottish contingent of Steven Pressley, Paul Hartley, Andy Webster and Craig Gordon to hold the Gorgie side together.

He said: "We are in a 'same case' scenario, the same situation when George Burley left earlier in the season. Ultimately it is about players in the dressing room and this group of players have been there once or twice and yet continued to pick up decent results.

"I am sure the Pressleys, Hartleys, Websters and Gordons will continue to be the backbone of the team and I am sure they will make sure the players stick together.

"But we will have to wait and see how it affects them, it may galvanise them or they may find life very difficult."

Taken from the Scotsman