By John Greechan

Copyright scotsman

Hibs boss David Gray has provided an injury update on “frustrated” long-term absentee Joe Newell. And he’s hailed the club captain for continuing to lead by example despite not featuring in a game in NINE months, crediting the crocked skipper with a starring role in last season’s spectacular turnaround in fortunes. Newell underwent abdominal surgery to correct a niggling groin injury that has kept him out – save for one appearance as an unused substitute back in February – since December of last year. He’s received the all-clear on the issue from medical experts, but is still working his way back to fitness out at East Mains. Gray admitted: “He’s extremely frustrated at the moment. I think the 29th of December was the last game he played, at home to Kilmarnock, and if you’d said then that he would be out for this length of time, I don’t think anyone would believe you, especially Joe, because of the nature of his injury. ‘He tried to play through it, niggled it, never quite got it right and then took an opportunity at the back end of the season to go for an operation that we felt would have had him back quicker. Unfortunately, he had a couple of setbacks along the way, but we’re confident now that there’s a bit of light at the end of the tunnel there and he is pushing himself back to get fit.” Pressed on what the light at the end of the tunnel looks like, in terms of speed of recovery, a cautious Gray said: “He’s working towards getting that baseline fitness. He’s pretty much got that now, which is great, and it’s the very last bit, which is the change of direction. “He can do the controlled sort of movements, but the last bit, when you’ve got that sort of injury, is always the chaos, if you want to call it that, when you’re not being told to run up to the cone and turn. It’s a case of having to react to what’s going on around about you. “He’s just at that final bit at the moment. I’ve said it too many times across the way for Joe, that it’s days more than anything else, but it probably will be a couple of weeks still before he’s really pushing on. He needs a bank of training at a more consistent level than he’s been able to do. “He’s on the grass running, but has been out for such a long period of time that he is going to feel things, he is going to feel other things because of the length of time. And we have to be patient, which is frustrating for him and for everybody involved. “But Joe is very good around the building every single day. As much as he’s frustrated, he’s still very much part of what we’re doing every day, and I know how important he is in that dressing room.” Gray, who had experience of acting as a non-playing captain in his own playing days at Easter Road, has been hugely impressed with Newell’s off-field leadership. Unable to contribute to a remarkable recovery over the second half of last season, the midfielder had hopes of playing in the Europa League/UEFA Conference League dashed by the need for extra recovery time. “It’s a difficult role to be in with everything going around you, especially European nights and playing in these big games,” said Gray, “Joe would be the first person who would be desperate to play in these games, but still to be that leader type, still to be the person that’s fighting everyone’s corner and hitting and kicking every ball from the stand, which he does do. “I think it’s understanding your role. I’ve experienced that first-hand. Even when I was fit and not selected, I still had a role to play. “I think that’s hugely important. It’s understanding that you are the captain for a reason, you lead the dressing room. “It’s about setting standards every day and also making sure that even though you’re not doing it on the pitch, you’re still leading by example around the building every day, which Joe does. He’s a very good example of that. GET THE LATEST HIBS NEWS DIRECTLY TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX WITH OUR FREE NEWSLETTER SERVICE “He’s also very good when new players come to the club, making sure people settle, making sure their families are all good. He and his missus are very good on that front. That’s a big part of it. “Recently, we’ve brought quite a few foreign players to the club, and you might think because we’re playing football that they just settle really quickly because that’s what they want to do, but it doesn’t quite work like that. You’ve got to factor in sometimes a change of language, definitely a change of weather at times, and everything that comes with that. “The captain has a big part to play – and also in dealing with things that don’t get to the other side of the table. I did it many times, when I was putting out fires in the dressing room and having to do things like that, but also fighting the corner for the players, which you have to do as well. “Because they are the most important people at a football club, and they’re all striving to be the best they can be, which becomes competitive. A big part of why we were successful last season was the culture and the togetherness within the dressing room, and that’s a reflection, I think, on your club captain.” On paper, central midfield is now one of the strongest parts of a Hibs squad heading to play Rangers at Ibrox in a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final this weekend, with Deadline Day signing Dan Barlaser joining a group that already includes Dylan Levitt, Josh Mulligan and Miguel Chaiwa, among others. But an injury to Alasana Manneh has created at least a bit of room for Newell, who was one of the team’s most important players when fit. “He will be a big asset when he comes back; he just needs to make sure he’s fully fit and ready to do that when he does come in,” said Gray. “I think that’s the benefit of what we’ve done in the window as well, in that position, looking at that area to make sure we have got enough strength and depth that when injuries do occur. “Alasana Manneh has picked up a hamstring injury, which is going to keep him out for a wee while as well. So we need to make sure we’ve got enough protection in there for the squad because Joe’s been out for such a long time as well.” Your next Hibs read: Here’s how David Gray’s men can dismantle Rangers at Ibrox