World News – GB – Forfar Athletic v Hibs LIVE: Betfred Cup clash team news and updates

Hibernian start the last game of their triple Betfred Cup header at Forfar Athletic with an injured squad as they try to make three out of three wins in the group stages of the competition

Jack Ross’ side have so far been victorious against Brora and Cove Rangers, but face a tough test in their first competitive game at Station Park in 71 years

If they want to take the most points from this opening trilogy, they’ll have to do so with a roster largely exhausted by injury and international calls, with the Easter Road boss forced to choose from a squad of only 14 players plus goalkeeper coach Craig Samson

Lewis Stevenson and Drey Wright were the latest casualties in the weekend’s win at Balmoral Stadium, joining Scott Allan, Jamie Murphy and Joe Newell on the sidelines

Meanwhile, Paul Hanlon’s appeal to the Scottish squad for Wednesday’s Nations League clash against the Czech Republic means six players are now unavailable due to their international obligations

Hanlon joins Paul McGinn and Ryan Porteous in Steve Clarke’s camp, while Alex Gogic and Ofir Marciano have been involved with Cyprus and Israel respectively

Josh Doig remains in solitary confinement after last week’s abortive game with England’s Under-19s at St George’s Park

Mallan’s corner finds Doidge at the far post, but the Welshman’s header crosses the goal and is sent off

I think we can all agree that 45 minutes of football have passed now and there is nothing we can do about it

Other than this terrible injury inflicted on Darren Whyte, there really isn’t much to say here

Dillon Barnes throws a free kick into the empty stands and that pretty much sums up the first half here

We’re back because he’s replaced by Thomas, expect a lot of extra time at the end of this first half

We haven’t seen the incident but judging by the current reaction from the players and the medical teams administering the treatment, it’s really bad for the man from Forfar

Looks like there has been a serious injury for Forfar defender Darren Whyte, with the defender apparently uncomfortable

We are aware of some issues with tonight’s live broadcast and are working on it Apologies to everyone who purchased the game

Well, we can’t see what’s going on at the moment but according to our source on the ground, not a lot

Not too much to report, Mallan’s free kick is erased and Forfar absorbs the pressure of a few crosses

Sean Mackie is back in the Hibs’ first team after his Dundee loan campaign last year ended prematurely with injury

Full-back picks up nicely to meet a Kyle Magennis cross but can only steer into the side net

Stevie Mallan’s recoil is behind Christian Doidge but finds Jamie Gullan coming from the left, but his effort is blocked

Not much to shout in the first five minutes as the ball spends most of its time in the middle of the pitch

This is pretty rambling stuff as far as Stephen McGinn returns the ball to Dillon Barnes

There appears to be an issue with one of Station Park’s goal nets before kick-off with a man on a ladder doing his best to put them back in place

He’s come back down and we seem to be okay with starting as the teams exit the tunnel

No news from the host team yet, but they do have a few familiar names on their team

St Johnstone moneylender John Robertson grew up as a fan of the Hibs, despite his name being more closely associated with our Brown neighbors, while Steven Anderson is a Perth legend, playing for the club more than 400 times

He brings the Premiership experience to the back row, while Bobby Barr, Mark Hill and Gary Irvine have all played higher in the pyramid

Forward Jordan Allan could be one to watch tonight after scoring consistently for Cowdenbeath last season after spending some testing time at Easter Road

Good evening, Hibees! Jack Ross named his starting lineup for tonight’s Betfred Cup face to face with Forfar Athletic Delivered by @VittoriaEd picTwittercom / tz2yDqCpJo

The young striker and Joe Newell lookalike was on loan at Forfar last year, but hopes to make a good impression at Station Park in green and white

Hibs and Forfar might not be regular opponents – tonight’s game is their first competitive meeting since 1971 – but when they met there was usually a guaranteed goal

The Easter Road side missed 8-1 winners in a Scottish Cup draw 49 years ago, as they scored four unanswered in their only other meeting after -war

Prior to that, the 1932/33 season saw teams face off four times, with 22 goals scored in those games, including a 2-2, 3-3, 7-3 win for the men in green. and white

Based on how the team looked at the end of the game against Cove and Ross’s recent comments on team selection, we’ve tried to test it out below:

READ MORE: How injured Hibs could line up for Betfred Cup draw at Forfar with Jack Ross forced to switch

Among those hoping for new first-team opportunities, forward Jamie Gullan, who re-energized his partnership with Kevin Nisbet in the victory at Balmoral Stadium

The pair played on loan together at Raith Rovers and in their last game as forward pair the two found the net against For many

Gullan explained how he could see that Niset was doomed to bigger things at the time, admitting that he would like the chance to team up again on a more regular basis.

« He just had this natural ability to finish and score goals and since joining Hibs he looks faster and stronger than he did at Raith

« I knew he could level up when we were at Raith We did a good job back then and I hope we can continue to do so this season »

READ MORE: Hibs forward Jamie Gullan on ‘big season’ as he hails ‘natural scorer’ Kevin Nisbet

It has already been a period of blues for Ross, who has had to juggle injuries and international calls alongside the start of our Betfred Cup campaign

Lewis Stevenson and Drey Wright are out after receiving punches against Cove this weekend, while Paul Hanlon’s appeal for Scotland means the men in green and white are really the grassroots

Ross will only have 14 players plus goaltending coach Craig Samson to pick tonight, but says his marginal players can get the job done

« Everything will be fine, we have a good mentality in the squad and it gives the opportunity to some players to gain minutes and we also win games, so I have full confidence in them again

« They have trained very well and naturally there is a good environment and a good atmosphere when you are doing well

‘There were games that we could have done better, but the players who played did well and found a way to win two tough games « 

Welcome to Edinburgh Live’s coverage of Hibs’ trip to Forfar in the group stages of the Betfred Cup

Although attention has been drawn to Scotland in recent days, the Hibees have lost interest in the League Cup as they attempt to secure three of three wins tonight

Brora and Cove Rangers have been beaten so far, but both were tough jobs for the men in green and white and Jack Ross will expect another rigid assessment of his team’s abilities tonight.

Hibernien FC, Forfar Athletic FC, Jack Ross and Raith Rovers FC, Scottish Premiership, Scottish Cup