A FEW eyebrows may be raised in Glasgow’s East End should John McGinn’s name, as expected, appear on the Hibernian team-sheet against NSI Runavik.
All the while, in the sleepy village of Toftir, Neil Lennon will be suitably unmoved.
McGinn will find himself ineligible for Celtic’s Champions League qualification campaign – should a deal be struck to take the Scotland internationalist west – if he takes the field in the Faroe Islands tonight, albeit he would be available for the group stage.
Read more: Hibernian manager Neil Lennon calls Celtic's Scott Brown 'presumptuous' after John McGinn comments
However, the Hibs head coach has his own priorities: he had lofty ambitions for his side in the Europa League and has no intention of omitting the club’s prize asset in anticipation of a transfer that may never happen.
Boasting a 6-1 lead from the first leg against NSI seven days ago, barring an unfathomable collapse, Hibs will take their place in the second qualifying round where they will face Asteras Tripolis, and Lennon has no doubt he will require his best players to navigate that tie and move a step closer to the group phase.
“It’s not my problem if he is cup-tied for the Champions League qualifiers, it’s just not,” said Lennon.
“I need to do what’s best for my team. We want to progress in this tournament and, to do that, we will need to beat a very good Greek team and I’ll need my best players.
“He’ll play tonight as it stands. He needs to play. If we negotiate this tie then we have a really tough one in the next round and we need our players up to speed.”
And McGinn has now shaken off the negative effects of transfer speculation, according to Lennon.
Read more: Hibernian manager Neil Lennon calls Celtic's Scott Brown 'presumptuous' after John McGinn comments
“It was difficult for John in the first few days but I think he’s over it now,” continued Lennon. “He’s trained well in the last few days, is more relaxed and settled in himself.
With Simon Murray on the cusp of joining Bidwest Wits in a £150,000 deal, Hibs are particularly light in attack, where Jamie Maclaren remains a prime target. Lennon was coy last night on the prospect of the Darmstadt striker returning to Easter Road.
“We are looking,” continued Lennon. “We are a little bit short in attack. I think we have enough to negotiate this tie and, hopefully, move quickly to bring players in – not just at centre-forward.
“We have options to look at but there’s no sort of guarantees that any of these deals will be done.”
Lennon confirmed that former Kilmarnock midfielder Youssef Mulumbu, who has been linked with a move to Hibs, is a player he admires but that no move is imminent.
Meanwhile, striker Oli Shaw concedes he has found the Faroe Islands somewhat “bleak”, but is hopeful his European adventures have put him on course to enjoy a bright future.
The 20-year-old, who found the net in the 6-1 rout of the minnows in Edinburgh, is well-travelled for one so young, racking up the air miles during his progress through the ranks at Scotland Under-17 and Under-19 level.
This, however, is his first trip away with the senior Hibs side and another pivotal learning curve.
“I’ve been to Greece and the Czech Republic with the Scottish youth levels before the qualifying rounds for the Euros,” he recalled.
“It’s always good experience to play against different styles of opponents and it’ll be good to experience it with Hibs.
“In Europe there’s going to be a physical aspect, different cultures and different ways of playing. It’s huge for your development.
“You see Rangers Under-20s last season didn’t play in the league – they played foreign teams to get that kind of experience. It’s just about balancing the two.”
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