Ex-Raith Rovers striker Kieron Bowie out of action until next year due to hamstring injury

The Kirkcaldy-born 21-year-old – signed for a reported £600,000 from Fulham in August, triggering a sell-on fee windfall believed to be worth £120,000 for his home-town club – suffered another hamstring injury while helping Scotland’s under-21s beat Malta 5-0 away at their hosts’ Ta’ Qali national stadium.

It’s now been confirmed that he’ll be out of action for at least four months.

Hibs had been exercising caution in giving Bowie game-time as he worked his way towards getting match-fit after missing most of their pre-season training, only playing him as a substitute on four occasions, but he made back-to-back starts for the head coach Scot Gemmill’s Scottish age-grade side, playing 56 minutes of their 2-1 loss to Spain at Edinburgh’s Tynecastle Park on Friday, September 6, before going off injured 36 minutes into last week’s match against the Maltese.

Those four appearance for the bench were Bowie’s first in Scottish club football since being sold by Raith to Fulham in July 2020 for £150,000 plus what’s reported to be a fifth of any subsequent transfer fee.

His club head coach, David Gray, has told of his disappointment at losing out on his new recruit in a statement on the Edinburgh outfit’s website, saying: “First of all, I am gutted for Kieron.

“I know how hard he worked to come back from his previous injury and how desperate he’s been to impress after joining us, which is something he’s certainly done.

“Given his injury history, we were conscious of managing his minutes at the start of the season despite the temptation to play him more because of the positive start he made.

“With that in mind, it makes it even more frustrating that he has picked up a significant injury during this period.

“Now it’s up to us to rally around him, support him with his recovery and make sure he has everything he needs to come back stronger, which I’m sure he will.”

Hibs – currently ninth in the William Hill Premiership table, on two points from four fixtures – last week signed former Newcastle United striker Dwight Gayle as a free agent to increase their options up front in Bowie’s absence.

Scotland’s under-21s are second to Spain in their European championships qualifying group, on 16 points from eight games.

Gray, 36, added: “It’s a real frustrating one from our point of view.

“He’s damaged that hamstring again, so he’s going to be out for a significant period, which is really tough to take considering how positive a start he made and how we managed his minutes since the start of the season.

“Before he went, the dialogue between us and Scotland was to manage his minutes and look after him, so that happened.

“He’d come off the bench a few times for us, so he was due to get a start. That was a natural progression.

“We thought it was the right thing for him to go and do, but you can’t predict what’s going to happen. It’s really frustrating for everyone.”