Hibernian

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Hibernian striker Kieron Bowie hopes to emulate Man City striker Erling Haaland.

The 23-year-old has become an out-and-out striker for David Gray's side this season having missed the majority of last year through injury and says he's "constantly learning."

Bowie scored two goals in Hibs' 3-0 victory over Falkirk last weekend having not managed to find the back of the net in his previous two games.

"I speak to a lot of people, obviously they speak about Haaland," he said.

"Obviously he's doing it at the highest level, but just how many goals he scores just in the width of the six-yard box.

"Every week he just scores a goal, maybe it's just a tap-in, but it's a goal at the end of the day.

"He scores an unbelievable amount of goals, and he's always in that area, in the six- yard box.

"I think he's probably a bit bigger than me so I wish I was as big as him."

Bowie made just 13 Premiership appearances last term having suffered a serious hamstring injury that sidelined him for the majority of the campaign.

Coming back this term, and playing as one of Hibs' go-to strikers, has been a bit of a learning curve for the Scotland international.

"I was injured for the majority of the season and then I come back and I'm starting to play up front," he added.

"I'm just trying to get to grips with a lot of things. Obviously it's different when you come back from an injury but definitely it's a lot of learning as I play games, even now.

"I'm constantly just learning and making sure I'm switched on."

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Rangers' Mohamed Diomande returns from suspension but Bojan Miovski picked up an injury against Ferencvaros and will be assessed while Joe Rothwell and Lyall Cameron did not feature in Hungary.

Rangers remain without John Souttar, Derek Cornelius, Nedim Bajrami and Oliver Antman with muscle injuries. Rabbi Matondo (knee) and Kieran Dowell (foot) are closing in on comebacks.

Hibs are awaiting confirmation on whether Rocky Bushiri, Jordan Obita and Miguel Chaiwa - who are all due to depart for the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday - will be available.

Nicky Cadden (calf) remains a doubt while Rudi Molotnikov (ankle) is definitely out.

Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan, 23, will not be affected by transfer speculation, believes head coach David Gray. (Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hibs head coach David Gray is still waiting to hear if three of his key players will be available for Monday night's match against Rangers at Ibrox.

Rocky Bushiri, Jordan Obita and Miguel Chaiwa have been called up by their respective countries - DR Congo, Uganda and Zambia - for the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins next Sunday.

Fifa's mandatory date for clubs to release players for the tournament is Monday, but Hibs are in talks with the relevant governing bodies for an extension that would allow the trio to play at Ibrox before departing.

"We've still not got complete confirmation," Gray said.

"So I don't want to say that and then it not be the case. There's still communication and conversations going on with the nations.

"I still expect us to have a couple available but that might change as well, so I've not got any concrete confirmation as yet. I expect that should be resolved in the next day or so.

"There are a lot of conversations going on, because we want to try to keep the players as long as we can, and the countries want to try to get them as early as they can because they've got a major tournament to prepare for.

"I would be exactly the same if I were a national team manager, I would want to try to get the players as early as you can. I fully understand that as well, so it's about trying to work out the best solution for everybody.

"The players need to consider their position as well, and how they feel and getting in the right frame of mind for playing and when they meet up, and flights and everything that comes with that. So there are a few challenges that we've still got to get to between now and the weekend.

"There's constant communication between everybody – us as a club, the player and then the national team, to make sure that it's resolved as early as it possibly can be."

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Hibernian's Scottish Cup fourth-round tie against Dunfermline is to be shown live on BBC One Scotland and iPlayer.

The game will be played on Saturday, 17 January (12:30 GMT) at East End Park.

It marks a reunion between Hibs and their former manager Neil Lennon, who is now in charge of the second-tier Pars.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hibs head coach David Gray has been speaking to the media as his side prepare for Monday night's trip to face Rangers.

Here are the key lines:

• Gray is still waiting to find out if Jordan Obita, Rocky Bushiri and Miguel Chaiwa will be available to play at Ibrox before they depart for the Africa Cup of Nations.

• The Hibs boss adds: "I still expect us to have a couple available, but that might change as well, so I've not got any concrete confirmation as yet. But I expect that should be resolved in the next day or so."

• Gray says his side are "adjusting" to a Monday night kick-off but admits he "used to prefer evening games" as a player and is expecting a "brilliant atmosphere".

• The 37-year-old "doesn't think there been much in the games" between Rangers and Hibs recently and says his side are "in a really good frame of mind" heading to Ibrox.

• But Gray stresses Rangers have "certainly improved domestically" since Danny Rohl took charge and is expecting "a really tough game".

• The boss says it's "good to see" striker Kieron Bowie "back on the goal trail" and is "sure he'll want to maintain that for as long as he can".

• He adds: "It is his first season as an out-and-out number nine; he's going to be inconsistent at times, he's still young, he's 23, he's not played a lot of football and there's a lot of development to come."

• Gray says defender Zach Mitchell has been waiting patiently for his opportunity and it could come when players go to AFCON.

• Team news: Nicky Cadden remains a doubt after missing last week's win over Falkirk but he did train on Friday. There are no fresh injuries.

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• Rangers have lost just one of their past 27 Scottish Premiership matches against Hibernian (W18 D8).

• In all competitions, Hibs have lost 12 of their past 13 away games against Rangers, winning the other 2-0 in April last season.

• Rangers have won five of their seven league games under Danny Rohl (D2), as many as their final 18 prior to his arrival (W5 D10 L3). They have also kept four clean sheets in their past six league matches, as many as their previous 28 beforehand.

• This will be Hibs' first Premiership game on a Monday since they lost 3-0 to Hearts in January 2023. Hibs have lost three of their past four games in the competition on this day of the week (D1) since a 1-0 victory over Partick Thistle in October 2013.

• Mikey Moore has scored in his past two league games for Rangers. A goal in this match would make him the first player aged 18 or younger to score in three successive Scottish top-flight appearances since Anthony Stokes netted in four in a row for Falkirk from October-November 2006.

Defender Rocky Bushiri, 26, says his return to Hibs this season after coming out of contract at the end of last term was motivated by his desire to represent DR Congo at Afcon. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Hibs midfielder Miguel Chaiwa has been named in Zambia's squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.

The 21-year-old joined David Gray's side from Swiss outfit Young Boys in the summer and has made 15 appearances across all competitions.

Zambia are holding a training camp in Spain from 11-17 December before heading to Morocco for the tournament where they will play in Group A alongside Morocco, Mali and Comoros.

Chaiwa joins Hibs team-mates Rocky Bushiri and Jordan Obita at AFCON after the defenders were called up by DR Congo and Uganda respectively.

Hibs are reportedly in talks with the relevant governing bodies in a bid to have the trio available for Monday night's game with Rangers before they depart on AFCON duty.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

When striker Kieron Bowie fired home Hibs' third goal against Falkirk on Saturday, there was an almost audible sigh of relief around Easter Road.

It ensured the three points would be staying in Leith, allowing the team to get back to winning ways after a couple of setbacks.

For Bowie, it also showed the 23-year-old was back on song, and in a year when every week is an audition for a World Cup place, every goal could be vital.

But Bowie is not the only Scot with one eye on next summer. Midfielder Josh Mulligan has arguably been Hibs' most consistent player this season and appears to be improving week on week.

Those in charge of recruitment at the club must be over the moon that the former Dundee player chose Hibs over many other suitors - including Rangers - in the summer.

Having already made 24 appearances this season and scored three times, it is little wonder there is reported interest from south of the border.

But Hibs will be determined to hang on to the talented 23-year-old.

With four very difficult fixtures before the end of the year, Mulligan will have a key role to play before the bells toll in 2026.

First up is Ibrox, against a Rangers side still finding their feet under new manager Danny Rohl.

With two losses already this season against Rangers, the Hibs players will be eager to turn the tables on their opponents.

And they don't have to look too far back to find their last win. In April, a goal in each half from Dylan Levitt and Martin Boyle was enough to secure victory and help propel Hibs to a third-place finish.

A repeat performance would be a huge boost for everyone and send a message that Hibs are more than capable of competing with the top clubs.

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Nottingham Forest and Leeds United have made initial enquiries for Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan as they consider a January move for the 23-year-old. (Daily Mail), external

Rangers may yet have Nasser Djiga available to face Hibs on Monday, despite the centre-half being called up by Burkina Faso for the Africa Cup of Nations. (Herald - subscription required), external

Raith Rovers' former Hibs defender defender Paul Hanlon, 35, says his brief spell as interim boss has only strengthened his desire to move into coaching later in his career. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Matty Fairnie
Fan writer

It was great to see Hibs get back to winning ways, especially as the victory came courtesy of another two goals for World Cup hopeful Kieron Bowie.

Only three players have scored more Premiership goals than Bowie this season and while his first against Falkirk was a thing of beauty, it was his second that gave me the most satisfaction as it was a real poacher's finish.

Bowie needs to find himself in between the goals for that type of goal more often, sniffing out these opportunities will go a long way to booking himself a place in Steve Clarke's squad come the summer.

Martin Boyle set Hibs on their way to victory but it was disappointing to see Sportscene pundit Richard Foster having a go at the forward for winning a penalty.

For an incident that was immediately spotted by the referee and verified by VAR, the statement that Boyle would have gone down anyway without contact was outrageous, and really unfair on the player.

It was a clear penalty - the conversation should have been about how the Falkirk defender avoided a red card as there was no genuine attempt to play the ball, rather than a hypothetical dive from Boyle.

Finally, with Aberdeen chairman Dave Cormack calling for a time limit on VAR interventions, it's far more important to get correct decisions than quick ones. Falkirk scored an offside goal on Saturday, VAR corrected the on-field decision but it took longer than 60 seconds to come to the conclusion.

Is Cormack seriously suggesting that the better outcome there would have been to let the goal stand?

VAR needs to improve, of that there's no doubt, but this rush to ignore the times it corrects mistakes in favour of dwelling on the ones it gets wrong is tantamount to throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

It's made a huge difference in the number of correct calls in the game, and we should focus more on improving the in-stadium experience for fans than limiting VAR's effectiveness with arbitrary time limits.

You can find Matty Fairnie at Longbangers podcast, external

Hibernian midfielder Josh Mulligan has revealed how Scotland head coach Steve Clarke challenged him to "step up" into a new leadership role at Easter Road as he looks to win a place in the squad for next summer's World Cup. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Scotland's top clubs are fearing a six-figure loss in their academy budgets after the Scottish FA indicated that annual payments via Club Academy Scotland could be stopped. (Daily Record), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Martin Boyle won Hibernian's sixth penalty of the Scottish Premiership season - more than any other team - in their 3-0 win at home to Falkirk on Saturday.

The Australia winger took it himself to open the scoring, but former Aberdeen and Rangers full-back Richard Foster thinks Falkirk's Filip Lissah was unfortunate to concede the spot kick after 36 minutes.

"I think Martin Boyle is quite cute here and quite clever and I think he initiates the contact and I don't think there's much the defender can do," Foster said on BBC Scotland's Sportscene.

"It is a brilliant pass from Josh Mulligan, a nice weight, and, if you watch Boyle, he runs across the defender and, if there is any contact, it is absolutely minimal.

"And, if there is any contact, he initiates it. I think they were lucky to get that."

Kieron Bowie scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season in Hibs' 3-0 win over Falkirk on Saturday.

He curled past the despairing dive of Scott Bain for the opening goal against the Bairns before some clever movement and a tidy finish put the icing on the cake at Easter Road.

Sportscene pundit Richard Foster backed the 23-year-old striker to make Scotland's World Cup squad next summer.

"This is an outrageous finish," he said of Bowie's first goal of the game. "If anything you think he needs to take another touch to get it out of his feet, but with zero backlift he guides it into the corner.

"For me, he's got to be on the plane. He gives us something a bit different, something we don't have - a bit of a maverick."

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Hibernian were excellent as they beat Falkirk on Saturday and have two players in my team of the week.

Josh Mulligan - Mr Versatile - slots in at right-back. He brings so much quality and has to be a contender for Scotland World Cup consideration.

Up front, Kieron Bowie is capable of conjuring the extraordinary. His first goal was sublime, and his second goal showed he has a real striker's instinct. Surely has to be on the plane to North America come the summer.

Former Coleraine manager Dean Shiels - once a player with Hibernian, Kilmarnock and Rangers - is in the running for the Greenock Morton manager's job. (Daily Record)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Watch highlights of Hibernian's 3-0 win against Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership.

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Kieron Bowie knows it will be "tough" to earn a spot in Scotland's World Cup squad next summer, but is determined to "boost my chances" by coming up trumps for Hibernian.

Bowie, 23, scored twice for David Gray's side in their 3-0 win over Falkirk at Easter Road to take his tally to seven for the season.

His form since arriving in Edinburgh earned him an international call-up earlier this year, and he made his debut for Steve Clarke's side in the June friendly against Liechtenstein.

"Obviously, there's a lot of good players in Scotland, and it's a very good squad, so it's tough to get in it," Bowie, who picked his second cap in the World Cup qualifier in Hungary against Belarus, told BBC Scotland.

"Everyone's going to be trying their luck and trying to do as best as they can to impress.

"You have Che Adams, Lyndon Dykes, all of them. Lawrence Shankland, obviously, on the other side of Edinburgh.

"So it's obviously a tough group of strikers. Hopefully we can do well on the pitch and that'll boost my chances."

Head coach Gray, who acknowledged Bowie "hasn't always been an out-and-out centre-forward", insisted there is "a lot more to come" from the forward.

"He keeps himself to himself, he's a humble boy that keeps working hard," Gray added.

"It's great when you score two goals, everybody speaks about you - but the one thing I would quickly remind Kieron, and I don't really need to do it, is just to keep working hard, keep improving, because there's a lot more to come."

We asked for your views on Hibernian's 3-0 win against Falkirk.

Here's what some of you said:

George: Good performance, although, work rate let us down the second half. Substitutions made a huge difference later on, with Josh Campbell excelling with his pace and energy. Goalkeeper again looks solid, with one outstanding save in the second half. Kieron Bowie taking his goals well, especially the second.

Neil: That's the performance and effort we want to see every game. Every player was committed, positive and what a real professional performance. Josh got man of the match, but there were many candidates, not least Jamie McGrath who was outstanding.

Sandy: Masterclass in tactical know how by David Gray! A truly excellent performance. Will need to get the American visa's ready for Kieran and the others fast on this form.

John: First half excellent, second half did not have the same intensity. Nonetheless some good performances especially Josh Mulligan. Good result and good team performance.

Kenny: Mulligan just gets better and better. Bowie's first goal was fantastic. If we can keep this kind of form in the league we won't be far away at the end of the season. Consistency is the secret and that's all the Hibs fans are hoping for. Great performance.

Laurence: A very good first half but a slow start after the break was uncomfortable to watch, the third goal was needed to kill off a rejuvenated Falkirk. We need to force ourselves more on the opposition when we are on top. We'll lose a few players for the African Cup of Nations so the next month could be pivotal on how the rest of our season plays out. Hopefully the injuries clear up soon and a full strength squad can see us through on towards a strong 2026.

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Hibernian head coach David Gray: "Really positive. Everything I asked the players to do, I saw. They were on the front foot, real dominant performance first half.

"Second half, credit to Falkirk, they had a real go and were more direct at times. We got the third goal at a good time.

"We will play better than we did in the second half, but at the same time they showed resilience, kept a clean sheet and we've given ourselves a good platform to build on.

"I don't like singling players out, but Josh [Mulligan] set the tone. His performance was excellent, with and without the ball. His desire to run forward and play with that intensity, and he deserved the man of the match.

"Goals give players confidence and I'm delighted with Kieron [Bowie]'s second goal. He looks to come out the box too much, and there's more to come from him. I'm delighted for him, it'll do his confidence the world of good."

Hibernian moved to fourth in the Scottish Premiership for now and shrugged top-six chasers Falkirk aside in a comfortable win at Easter Road.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say here.