Kevin Nisbet dealt Hibs injury hammer blow as Shaun Maloney opens up on 'tough' situation for young stars

Hibs are bracing themselves for a Kevin Nisbet hammer blow with the striker expected to be ruled out for the rest of the season after damaging knee ligaments against Celtic.

The Scotland hitman is also almost certainly out of the World Cup play-offs as he prepares for a lengthy spell out.

Nisbet underwent a scan earlier this week but Hibs are awaiting a second opinion on the damage to his left knee.

Easter Road boss Shaun Maloney admits in over 20 years as a player and coach he has never known an injury crisis like it with this latest shocker taking the number of first-team stars on the treatment table to nine.

But Maloney – who admitted he “didn’t think it was a great challenge” from Carl Starfelt that crocked Nisbet – insists his absence won’t force him to change his style with Christian Doidge set to come in from the start against Dundee tonight.

And he has every faith that his squad – a group he reckons is one of the youngest in all of Europe’s top flights – can cope with the pressure.

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He said: “It’s tough. I don’t think I’ve ever been involved in a team coaching or playing where we have had so many out.

"Some of them are senior players, really big players in this league, so it makes it harder.