Will Chris Cadden make Hibs return as a winger or full-back?

He hasn't kicked a ball in anger for Hibs since rupturing his Achilles tendon in the curtain-closing Edinburgh derby on the final day of last season, forced to watch from the sidelines as European qualifiers passed him by in the summer, followed by a change in management.

A new dugout regime brings uncertainty for just about every player, but none more so than those who cannot put themselves in front of the new boss every day on the training pitch. And so, for Cadden, it's been about returning to health before positing his case to be in Nick Montgomery's team week in, week out.

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It's a quirk of football fandom that players often get better in the eyes of supporters when they're not playing, and the reality of their return does not live up to the accumulated hype. In Cadden's case, however, there can be little doubt that Hibs have missed him.

Athletic, aggressive, versatile, and with a wicked delivery off the right flank, it's not idle speculation to suggest that the creative struggles plaguing Hibs in the final weeks of 2023 could be, at least, eased by Cadden's return to the fold.

There has been some suggestion that certain players are not particularly well-suited to Montgomery's 4-4-2 formation, but Cadden does not feel like one of them. And it will be interesting to see how the manager most frequently deploys him.

The 27-year-old will have much to offer on that right side, but it is not yet clear whether he will be viewed primarily as a right-back, right midfielder, or a bit of both. Montgomery has subverted expectations, at times, in how he deploys individuals, with Martin Boyle spending a considerable chunk of the season to date playing as a forward. He has also chosen to put the now-injured Josh Campbell on the right, while Dylan Vente - who arrived with a reputation as a penalty box striker - has often been the deeper-lying link man between midfield and attack.

Montgomery has spoken of a need for greater quality in the final third, and he certainly needs more options in attack. Until a sticky, injury-punctuated spell in the closing weeks of 2023, Lewis Miller appeared to have nailed down the right-back slot as his own. With Rory Whittaker as current back-up, Kanayo Megwa's potential return from his loan at Airdrie, and interest in Leeds United's Kris Moore simmering away, the numbers game may well dictate that Cadden be viewed as an attacking option.

His versatility creates inevitable debate around where he is most effective. In 2019/20, Cadden played exclusively as a right-back for Oxford United, registering five assists in 25 League One appearances, having previously featured at right midfield, or even in a central midfield three on occasion, for Motherwell.

When he arrived at Easter Road under Jack Ross, the former manager specifically singled out that versatility as a key factor in pushing to sign him. Last season, he was most regularly used at right-back or wing-back, but his overall career statistics - according to Transfermarkt - show he has spent more time further forward.

Hibs' squad composition arguably points to a greater need in using him there. And there is also the question of whether he would get in ahead of Miller, with a StatsBomb comparison favouring the Australian at full-back, despite his recent drop-off.

The differing shapes on the above radars do suggest they were being asked to different things - naturally, when the manager has changed - but Miller is ahead on a number of key defensive metrics, another reason why Montgomery may be more inclined to play Cadden further forward.

Montgomery has also spoken of not blocking pathways for young players, and it is clear he rates Whittaker very highly. Megwa's excellent half-season in Lanarkshire will also have given the manager food for thought, and it could be that he has several right-back options to play with when the season recommences.

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But unless a winger is signed before the transfer deadline, and that very much remains a possibility, he will not have such a cushion in forward areas. Cadden could be a ready-made solution once he returns to fitness - he is a proven Premiership quality player, and all the indications from Montgomery have been that he will not greenlight signings that do not immediately improve his team. Given the intricacies of the January window, finding someone who offers more than Cadden could be challenging.

And while it may be more likely Cadden is used as an option alongside Boyle, there is the added bonus that he can easily cover at right-back, if and when required. Therein lies, perhaps, the most important aspect of his return - strengthening the depth of a side that has been sorely lacking for some time now.

That can only be a good thing.