Thornton Hibs: Craig Gilbert's squad is being decimated by call-offs

And Gilbert revealed that only one of these four men is likely to be available to face St Andrews United at home in the East of Scotland League second division this Saturday, as – due to several bad weather-related call-offs – Thornton play their first league fixture at Memorial Park for a mammoth 15 weeks!

"Two of the regular back four were injured for the game last Saturday,” Gilbert said. “One had to babysit because his wife – who is a nurse – was working.

"And the other guy had to go to uni in the morning.

"To be fair, two of the men who did play in the back four instead against Whitburn had both played in the Alex Jack Cup final (a 3-2 loss to Luncarty at Moorside Park, Dundonald, on November 27).

"But I think that for the St Andrews game this weekend, only Adam Drummond out of our regular back four will make it.”

Adding to Thornton’s problems, replacement left back Dean McMillan – who sustained a bad leg injury from a challenge by Cameron Stokes on Saturday which saw the Whitburn player red carded – faces a late battle to be fit to face St Andrews. But there is hope he could play.

"Dean says his leg feels 100 times better than what it was,” Gilbert, speaking on Tuesday, said. “It maybe looked worse than what it was.

"Guys don’t go in to hurt people but sometimes they go in a bit high and that’s what’s happened. It’s unfortunate, that’s football.”