It is hoped that a scan over his troubled hamstring today will indicate just how much time Merouane Zemmama will need to spend on the sidelines after the midfielder pulled up sharply on Saturday at Tannadice, clearly indicating that to continue in the game could cause even more damage to an injury the Moroccan has been carrying for several weeks.

Zemmama's influence was a telling factor in Hibernian's form in the first half of the season, but in an interview with Hibernian TV last night he admitted that the games over the Christmas period were disappointing both on a personal and team level. An easy explanation might have been that the heavy playing surfaces at this time of year do not suit his own game, however Zemmama dismissed any such suggestion, although he did admit to having carried a hamstring injury in recent weeks and it was that which finally forced him off the field in Dundee.

"I have felt a problem with my hamstring in the last few weeks and I have just kept pushing on and tried to work through it,"   Zemmama told the on-line club TV service, adding: "But on Saturday I felt a lot more pain than I have done before. I will be having it scanned today and we will see perhaps what the problem is, I am hoping it is not so bad so that I can get back training with the team as soon as possible, we need everyone in the squad to be fit in particular at this stage of the season."

The injury flare-up made it a difficult enough day for the midfielder, but even more disappointing was the failure of his team-mates to turn a much improved second-half performance into the goals required to turn the game around: "It was just the second defeat in 15 games but we are very disappointed with it, we wanted to keep our position in the league and still look to close the gap again on second place. It did not happen for us on Saturday but I hope that we can have a good reaction to it in our next few games, get back to winning again and forget what has happened.

"In football you are always looking to learn and I hope we have learned from the last few games and not just from the game at Tannadice, I hope that now everyone knows the situation and wants to do something about it. We have not played as well since the Aberdeen game as we did before, we have been a little bit down but of course that is football and sometimes you will have a run of games like that. We are looking to ensure that ends now and we will see a much better performance on Saturday against Hamilton, we certainly have the motivation in the side to improve again and move back up the league."

The visit of Hamilton to Easter Road for the first time this season provides an opportunity for the side to put things right, but regardless if he is playing or not Zemmama reminded his team-mates that they will need to up their game considerably if they are to trouble the team from New Douglas Park: "You know there are no easy games in this league at all - and in particular at this part of the season when everyone is fighting very hard, we all need to put points on the board, everyone has a great deal to play for.

"So they are all hard games - Hamilton is a very good and well organised team and we saw that recently in their games against Rangers. All their players are very well motivated and of course they have beaten us already this season so they will be confident. But I still believe that we can play a lot better and will do on Saturday because that is what we need to win this game."

Meanwhile Hibernian now know who their Scottish Cup 5th round opponents will be after Montrose ran out 3-1 winners over Edinburgh City at Meadowbank Stadium last night. Montrose is managed by former Easter Road defender Steven Tweed, who also played at the heart of defence to guide his side through to the clash with his former club on 6th February. Also looking forward to a return to Easter Road will be Montrose goalkeeper Andy McNeill who only departed last summer.

Hibernian faced Montrose last in a pre-season friendly in July, a young Hibernian side winning 3-2 - highlights from that game are available to subscribers on Hibernian TV.