Hibs' European play-off progress depends on rest and recovery, according to manager David Gray. The Easter Road side are on a fixture treadmill, with eight games in 29 days, and Gray is grateful for the ownership's decision to pay extra for overnight stays to prevent early-season travel burnout.
What happened?
Hibs stayed in Skopje after last night's UEFA Conference League win over North Macedonian opposition KF Shkendija. The Scottish Premiership club stumped up for an extra overnight and flew back to Edinburgh this morning.
Why it matters for Hibernian
Gray believes that the right sort of rest could make all the difference as Hibs look to make the European league/group stages for the first time ever. The team is focused on eclipsing last summer's exploits, when they missed out on a spot in the Conference League proper after an extra-time loss to Legia in Warsaw.
What comes next?
With Partick Thistle at home in the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday before they jet out to Belgium for the first leg of their play-off against Gent, getting the right sort of rest could make all the difference. Gray is proud of at least matching last summer's achievement and is urging his players to enjoy these moments. The team is grateful to the club for putting up the finance to do it and the staff all pulling in the same direction.
League standing: 7th in Premiership, 3 pts, 1W-0D-1L from 2 games, recent form WL. Goals this season: 3 scored, 3 conceded (0 goal difference). Title race: 3 points behind leaders Celtic. Last result: Hibernian 0-1 Motherwell (2026-05-16). Recent form (last 5): 3W-0D-2L (LLWWW, most recent first); lost the last 2. Next fixture: vs Aberdeen (at home, 2026-09-19) (8th in the table). Currently sidelined: Nicky Cadden, Rocky Bushiri.
