A couple of loose bits of bone floating around in your foot certainly does not sound the most comfortable experience for anyone to undergo - but for a professional footballer it sounds like a major disability. Kevin McBride may not understand the medical explanations for his current dilemma - and the midfielder certainly knows the impact it is having on his season, but he is not about to let it stand in his way.

'Barra' arrived at Hibernian last summer hot on the heels of his former Falkirk manager John Hughes, some doubts where expressed as they always are for new players on how they might fit in at their new club - in the event McBride settled in just nicely, his steady performances in midfield quickly winning him the backing of the Hibernian support. Disaster then struck with a heavy challenge against St Mirren, and the weeks since have been a frustrating round of pain and rehabilitation.

Kevin however remains philosophical about the whole situation, accepting that in professional football his is just another story in thousands: "I've been out now for around seven weeks and that has been a very frustrating time for me, but the pain has been eased a bit by the boys winning. But I want to be involved again so getting some game time in the Derby match was excellent - that said I'm still a bit away from full fitness but hopefully that will come in due course.

"I don't know too much about the injury other than I have two 'floating' bones in my foot which have chipped off and been there for a length of time. The Physio reckons that it could have been caused by a previous injury - I've had insoles made so it is just a case of playing through the discomfort."

After returning to training before Christmas, McBride was recalled to the side for the Edinburgh Derby and managed to get some game-time in - according to the player, the best pain-killer he could have had: "It is slightly sore but I did not feel it when I went on against Hearts, the adrenalin gets you through games. It's harder to get going in the morning as it can be a big stiff but when you get to a game you are not really thinking about your foot. I'm told that there is no point in an operation on it - the recommendation is to continue with the insoles I've had made and it is expected to get better later in the season.

"But I have to wait for now and hope that I can get a chance again, it's part of football when you have been out injured - the boys have been doing well - I'm not though a player who came to Hibernian just to do well for myself, what counts is what is important for Hibernian and that is more important to me. I know that I'm nowhere near fully fit at this minute so I'll keep working away at getting my fitness back again and taking things on from there."

Watching on from the sidelines is never the favourite pastime of any player, all the more true when your team-mates appear to be struggling a little against stubborn opposition you are expected to cast to one side: "It was always going to be difficult for us on Saturday against Irvine Meadow, we did not know much about them and for the first 20/25 minutes you have to take your hat off to them, they were the better side. I think the manager felt the same though - when the first goal went in there was only going to be one winner in the game, but he wants it done right every time. Hopefully the performance on Saturday was a one-off - we have a difficult game facing us this week at Tannadice so we need a performance in that."

McBride is hoping then to battle his way back into the side, and play a leading role as Hibernian push towards the business end of the campaign: "Really every game from now to the end of the season is going to be massive in one way or another, we are sitting third in the league and we want to finish at least that high. Other clubs are obviously trying to catch us - Dundee United is the side immediately below us and while they are not on a great run of form at present they are still a very good side. We need to give everything we have on Saturday - we are something of a scalp now for other teams because we are the side right now in third."

The full interview with Kevin McBride joins that of Paul Hanlon on Hibernian TV this week.