Hibs Under-18s face biggest game of the season as they battle Rangers for Youth Cup final berth

Gareth Evans’ side has been in fine form this season and is yet to lose a game in either the CAS Elite Under-18 League or the cup competition.

Indeed, they are yet to concede a goal in cup matches having put seven past Montrose without reply, beaten Lothian Thistle Hutchison Vale 5-0, and edged out Celtic by a goal to nil in the quarter-finals.

It is perhaps all the more impressive when one considers that the team was without centre-back Jacob Blaney and versatile defender / midfielder Josh McCulloch for many of their matches. In one game Hibs were forced to field a 15-year-old midfielder at right-back and a central midfielder at centre-back with three defenders sidelined, although their numbers are looking healthier ahead of the Light Blues’ visits.

Rangers have a larger pool of players to choose from for this last-four encounter given that they are running a B team in the Lowland League, but Hibs have beaten them twice in league games so far this season, recording a 2-1 victory in September and a 4-2 win last month – both at East Mains.

It remains to be seen if Blaney and Oscar MacIntyre will be involved on Friday night. Both players have been on the bench for Hibs for the last three league games and training with the first-team squad, and stringent rules forbid under-18 players from playing twice in the space of 24 hours. MacIntyre was left out of the 2-0 victory over Kilmarnock last Friday while Blaney started and was subbed off after an hour or so, but with Hibs hosting Celtic on Sunday at Easter Road there was less of an issue.

With St Johnstone visiting on Saturday and there likely to be at least ten players unavailable, first-team boss Shaun Maloney’s options for his bench will be limited even without the