The Hibs squad is getting a major boost just in time for their crucial clash at Rangers on Wednesday night. Midfielder Josh Mulligan is set to return after a frustrating four-month spell on the sidelines, and head coach David Gray couldn't be more thrilled.

Mulligan, 23, has been out of action since suffering an ankle injury during Hibs' Scottish Cup defeat at Dunfermline back in January. It's been a long road to recovery, but the key midfielder is finally ready to rejoin the squad after returning to training last month.

Fans might have expected to see him back last weekend, but the club wisely decided against risking him on Falkirk's artificial pitch. "He's never done any rehab on that surface and we didn't know how it would react," Gray explained to Hibs TV. "Given that he hadn't played any minutes at all and had been out for a long time, we didn't feel it was a risk we could take."

The decision paid off. Mulligan has been putting in extra work on the training ground over the weekend, and he's now fully fit and available for selection. "He's fully fit and available if selected and falls into contention for the squad tomorrow night with it being on a grass surface," Gray added.

But it's not just about Mulligan's physical readiness—his return is giving the entire squad a psychological lift. "What that does as well is give everybody a lift. I've seen that in the last 10 days," Gray said. "We've got competition for places and he certainly adds freshness as well."

With the season reaching its climax, Hibs have plenty to play for. A win at Ibrox could secure fifth place, which would earn them a Conference League qualifier if Celtic beat Dunfermline in the Scottish Cup final. There's also the tantalizing possibility of leapfrogging Motherwell into fourth place ahead of their final-day showdown with the Steelmen at home.

For a team that's been missing a key cog in midfield, Mulligan's return couldn't have come at a better time. Get ready, Hibs fans—the engine room is back in business.