The arrivals of Mark Brown and Alan Gow this week will make team selection all the more interesting for John Hughes when he posts his squad up for the visit of Montrose to Easter Road tomorrow - in particular as injury victims Graham Stack, Merouane Zemmama and Kevin McCann are now well on the road to recovery.

Ahead of the Active Nation Scottish Cup tie the manager made it clear that everyone is in contention for a place against the SFL third division basement club, and that will keep Steven Tweed guessing over just who his side is likely to line up against. The last minute surprise of the week was certainly the arrival of Gow, who but for his own determination to play for Hibernian might easily have been in the Aberdeen squad for their tie against Raith Rovers.

The arrival of Gow was as much a surprise to the manager as anyone else, Hughes admitting that when he undertook his weekly interview with Hibernian TV early on Monday afternoon he had resigned himself to no further movement before the impending deadline ended at midnight that day: "I was talking to Hibernian TV on Monday afternoon and at that point I was totally honest and had to say that I was not expecting any further moves before the transfer window closed - Alan Gow was not even mentioned or expected.

"I have been constantly in touch with Gowser since he left Falkirk, just keeping up to date with what was happening with him. There were one or two things that we were hoping might happen in the morning but they went flat. Then Brian Rice spoke to Gowser in the afternoon and was told that Alan was on his way up to Aberdeen - it then kicked off again. Alan showed a very real appetite to come here it was well on the line to his going to Aberdeen but he wanted to come here and I'm delighted we got him."

Gow fell out of favour at Plymouth - as so often happens when there is a change of management - and his appearances for the Championship side have been limited. However Hughes has no doubts at all over the fitness of his new player to step straight into the side should he be called upon: "Alan is very fit - he is they type of guy that if he does not play on a Saturday then he will be out running to keep his levels high. I've been talking to him and what he was doing at Plymouth was playing in bounce matches in midfield mostly, but he is just looking forward to working with us here.

"The thing is if he can do some of the things at Hibernian that he did for us at Falkirk then I'm sure he will become a real favourite with the supporters here. He might have to be patient but he will train like a champion and if his chance comes I'm sure he will show everyone what he is about. There is a carrot there as well for him in terms of if he does really well then he might force my hand to keep him here on a permanent basis."

Gow may have more chance of featuring in the game that fellow new arrival Mark Brown, who not only has to contend with an in-form Graeme Smith but a return to training for Graham Stack: "On the goalkeeper front I've been clear for some time - I'd said six weeks ago when big Maka tweaked his hamstring and Stacky was injured that what I wanted to do fix that issue at the club where we did not have a 'goalkeeping school'.

"So I sat down with the directors and said right let's go and separate it, let's get the goalkeeping school in place once and for all. We talked about goalkeeper and I think what we have now could be the envy of Scottish football - not saying they are the best in Scotland but in terms of depth absolutely fantastic."

Meanwhile the demands of television has brought about a change to the kick-off time of the next Edinburgh Derby. The match at Tynecastle on Saturday 20th March will now kick off at 12.15pm and will be broadcast live by Sky Television.