Hibernian head coach David Gray is looking forward to being able to include new signing Kwon Hyeok-kyu in his squad for the visit of Dundee on Scottish Premiership duty - but the Easter Road boss wouldn't drop any hints over whether the South Korean under-23 internationalist would come straight into his starting XI as Hibs look to bounce back from consecutive defeats against Celtic. 

"Kwon has looked really good, he has settled in really well with the lads too," Gray said, previewing the visit of the Dark Blues.

"Having been at St Mirren on loan, it is not as if it’s his first loan out of Celtic and he has to find his feet - he understands Scottish football. I have had many chats with him that have gone really well. You can see the qualities he has in terms of technical ability but also his athleticism as well.

"You'll have to wait and see whether he starts but he is available for selection and will be in the squad. This extra week has been good for everyone: more minutes for players in their legs at the weekend which helps. In terms of competition for places. I have been saying for a number of weeks that the stronger and more competitive the squad can be the better and it means everyone has to raise their game. I think that’s a healthy environment for everyone to be involved in."

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Gray did threaten to axe some of his starters after another individual error led to a goal in Sunday's 3-1 Premier Sports Cup exit at the hands of Celtic but rowed back slightly on that warning as he acknowledged that the heat of the moment might have influenced his reaction.

"My frustration straight after the game probably came from the self-inflicted nature of the goals. That made it harder to take. Celtic are a very good team and we just made it even harder for ourselves. It’s been a tough start but we made it harder by starting the two games against them as we did, giving ourselves a mountain to climb," he said.

"But there are positives to take from it. You need to take the positives from every game if they’re there to make sure it’s not all doom and gloom, and there certainly were improvements from the first game to the second."

The Hibs players and the coaching staff are hopeful that Saturday's clash with Dundee can not only kickstart their season but also offer a chance to bounce back from a chastening seven days in which they twice lost to Celtic at home and away. But to get a positive result they will need to tame a Dundee side brimming with confidence after scoring 29 goals in seven games across the League Cup and first two Scottish Premiership games, including a comprehensive victory over Hearts and a 6-1 thrashing of Airdrieonians - and the fact they haven't won at Easter Road since 2001 won't come into it, insists Gray. 

"Dundee are very well organised, they have got good individuals. A lot of energy – they are a high-energy team. They play forward, they force you to defend – they are in good form at the moment and full of confidence. 

"I never knew about their record, to be honest. I just take every game as it comes. We are well aware of the challenge facing us against a team riding high at the moment. But I fully believe in the squad of players we have at the moment and I think it is all about what we do this weekend and make sure we impose our game on them."

One intriguing subplot to the fixture will be the presence in the Dundee midfield of Luke McCowan, a player Hibs have been pursuing for the last few weeks, while former Easter Road striker Simon Murray is another figure well-known to Gray who will hope to have a say in the outcome. 

"It might be intriguing for some people. For me - he plays for Dundee," Gray replied, when asked about the McCowan factor.

"That doesn't change between now and the game. My full focus is on how we beat Dundee so that is all I am going to talk about on that one. I know Simon well; he forces you to defend all day. He tests you, the players know what’s coming. He is a constant threat in terms of always on the move, always forcing you to chase things. He chases lost causes at times – when I used to play with him, I used to enjoy it because he used to sometimes make my bad balls look quite good! But that’s what you are going to get from him; that high energy and work rate that he’s always had.

"He has done really well. Even when he left here, the move he went for [the now-defunct Bidvest Wits in South Africa] - I don’t know what the circumstances were; everyone has their own reasons when they move and why they move, but he was a player I enjoyed playing with, just because of his enthusiasm and effort every single week. I think you saw it last year when he had a fantastic season, so we are well aware of the danger he causes and we will make sure everyone is ready for it."

It remains to be seen if Gray does make changes after his Celtic Park outburst, while McCowan's expected presence in the opposition XI will also add a certain something to proceedings. But first and foremost, Hibs need a positive result so they can kickstart their season - and avoid anymore kickings from Gray in the media.