Major Hibs absence addressed - and Elie Youan challenges analysed by David Gray

The 24-year-old midfielder had been part of every matchday squad this season under Gray, but his omission for Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Hearts was noticeable. His place was taken by Jake Doyle-Hayes, who came on a late replacement.

Campbell was identified as a key part of Gray’s team during the summer, with the academy graduate pushed into the No 10 role. However, mirroring the general malaise of the Premiership’s bottom club Hibs, Campbell’s form has tailed off and found himself watching from the sidelines over the weekend.

“Josh is fine,” said Gray when asked if the absence was down to injury. “He's trained again this morning [Monday], comes back into contention for Wednesday night and he's just part of a group of boys that are trying their best to get into the matchday squad, because we've got a lot of competition for places as well.

“I think if you ask Josh, I think the performances for levels that he's sometimes set have maybe not quite where he'd like them to be. But it's not through a lack of effort or a lack of commitment. He's feeling it probably more than most because he's desperate to do well, he loves the club, he's came through the club. 

“I've seen it over the years as well, you know, when you carry that burden and how much it means to you, sometimes you try too hard or you end up not quite coming off for them. I think he's in a place at the moment where he's desperate to try and do everything he can to make sure we turn the fortune round because he's part of a group that's desperate to be successful.”

One Hibs player who was involved against Hearts was Elie Youan, who played for an hour - his longest stint of game-time this season. Gray has been forced to manage the French forward carefully after a move away from Easter Road, as well as injury issues and racial abuse from a handful of supporters online.

“One thing he's not had is a lot of games recently,” Gray said of Youan. “I'd have liked a bit more from everybody in terms of that attacking sense [against Hearts]. We had opportunities when we could have been better. There's no thoughts about energy levels and appetite and I thought everybody showed that.

“But he's again someone that when he's on it, he's got all the attributes to be really, really effective and we need to see that more often.

“I’ve just tried to be very consistent and honest with him right through the whole process because until he wasn't a Hibs player, I was treating him as if he was and I've never changed that stance with him.

“My job, even though we've not had results, is always about trying to make every single player better. So whilst he was still in the building, that was my full focus about how can I improve him because if he doesn't move now, I need him as an asset and how can he affect the group in a positive way and that hasn't changed regardless of speculation outside his future because at the moment in time he's a Hibs player and until that changes, it's my job to try and do that.

“I see Elie every day in training. I see all the boys in training and how we train and I think it's credit to everyone involved that during tough times, which there has been, that we stick together. I’m very supportive of Elie and the situations he's found himself in recently, which is at times are unacceptable, 100 per cent.

“Elie's always trained with a smile on his face and as long as he's in a position where he's doing that and he's willing to put his hand up to try and get on the pitch and try and benefit the team, then he's available for selection, which is great.”