Lee Johnson admits Hibs epic with Aston Villa has come at a cost and Conference League rescheduling hasn't helped

Lee Johnson knows clinching a glamour Conference League play-off clash with Aston Villa has come at a price for Hibs.

But the Easter Road boss is adamant the gruelling schedule that has seen the Battle of Britain blockbuster brought forward 24 hours to Wednesday CAN’T cost his side dearly when Raith Rovers come calling in the Viaplay Cup. Johnson has seen injuries pile up and energy levels stretched to the limit in a burst of three huge games in six days.

Thursday’s heroic draw in Luzern that teed up the Villa showdown saw Dylan Levitt hobble off with ankle-ligament damage that will see him ruled out of this afternoon’s action. Jake Doyle-Hayes was already sidelined for the Swiss trip along with long-term absentees Harry McKirdy and Jojo Wollacott. And Josh Campbell played through the pain barrier with a shoulder injury. With Unai Emery’s multi-million pound squad in Leith on Wednesday it’s a major test of mental and physical strength.

Hibs had to move the game forward 24 hours to avoid a clash with Hearts’ home tie against PAOK Salonika – with the Jambos getting the benefit of the extra day due to their higher league position last season. First things first though and Johnson is determined to avoid a slip-up against Raith.

The Hibees boss said: “The Villa game being brought forward doesn’t help us. Not with the Raith game as I want to win and compete on all fronts.

“The team selection will be a headache. As a manager it’s horrendous because you have a wave of euphoria then straight away you have to think about the next game.

“We’ve shown we have character. We just need to keep building minutes in our players and overcome the circumstances that have led us to struggle in league games at the moment. A lot of these