You might argue they never are, but the first international break of the season wasn't exactly a welcome one for Hibs.

Still chasing a first Premiership victory of the 2024/25 campaign, integrating new players, building an identity - a pause in domestic action would certainly not have been David Gray's preference, even less so as he watched his £600,000 summer signing pull up with a hamstring injury. The upside for the Hibs head coach, though, will have been some uninterrupted training pitch time with those who did not head off to represent their respective nations. 

These can be valuable moments amid the constant stream of fixtures, and there will have been meticulous work carried out at HTC ahead of Saturday's clash with St Johnstone at Easter Road. Gray's squad looks much healthier than it did on opening day at St Mirren, but there's no ducking the fact Hibs need to start getting some results. 

All things considered, it would be a surprise to see Gray deviate too much from the side he started against Kilmarnock but, as always, there are some key decisions influenced by form and fitness that he will be mulling over as the weekend approaches.

At right-back, Lewis Miller was fit and available for the second of Australia's World Cup qualifiers during the break, but wasn't risked, and his fitness will be assessed ahead of Saturday. Gray has been consistent in taking risks with players' fitness - Kieron Bowie an obvious example - and he does have other options if he suspects Miller's knee issue hasn't fully cleared up. He experienced swelling on the long-haul flight to join his international team-mates, and sat out their first fixture altogether.  Gray certainly has options in that area - Chris Cadden and Kanayo Megwa would surely jump at the chance for a start, with the former making a positive impact off the bench in the 2-2 draw with Dundee. 

On the other side, it's been a tricky start to the season for Jordan Obita, and as time wears on he may well face competition from Jack Iredale, but without changing shape to 3-5-2  it seems doubtful as to whether Gray will feel he can afford to give him a break and bring in Nicky Cadden. Regardless, Obita was Hibs' top performer last season, and the head coach will have confidence that the left-back will come good again before long.

A reshuffled midfield comprising Nectar Triantis, Joe Newell, and Kwon Hyeok-kyu looked promising during an otherwise drab draw with Kilmarnock pre-break, and Gray's post-match comments on how the trio would improve on that first outing suggested he feels he's settled on a combination he likes. If their last visit to Easter Road is any indication, St Johnstone are likely to present a different challenge. Craig Levein's side were content to put large numbers behind the ball and play on the break, with the onus likely on Hibs again to find a way to break that down.  The above midfield removes the number 10 role Gray had implemented until Rugby Park, and it stood up well against arguably the most physical side in the Premiership. Saturday's game will be a test of whether it can become a creative force, too.

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Were it not for Bowie picking up that muscle issue with Scotland under-21s, Saturday could well have been the first time Gray has had full availability in his forward line. The extent of Bowie's injury should become clear before the weekend, but with Junior Hoilett and Elie Youan likely to come back into contention, it would be a surprise to see him risked. Hoilett and Youan returning to fitness provides Hibs with much-needed options in attack, but their lack of match sharpness coupled with Rudi Molotnikov's form for Scotland under-19s over the last fortnight puts the teenager in pole position to continue in attack. Kilmarnock away was a tough afternoon for the 18-year-old, but he's largely been a bright spark in a side still searching for its creative groove. With Bowie likely out, or at least not fit enough for a first Hibs start, Mykola Kukharevych will likely lead the line again, with Martin Boyle on the right.

Boyle was highly critical of his own performance in Australia's shock 1-0 defeat to Bahrain last week, and despite a brilliant free-kick against Dundee and an assist versus Celtic, he hasn't really got going in a Hibs shirt either since the start of the league season. With the likes of Hoilett and Youan now looking to push for starting places, Bowie's integration hopefully not disrupted too much by events in midweek, and Thursday's arrival of free agent Dwight Gayle, none of Hibs' forward players will feel game-time is guaranteed as things stand. Those increasing options at Gray's disposal might end up being the catalyst Boyle needs to find consistent form again.

The same, of course, applies across the board. St Johnstone at home would not have stood out to many supporters when fixtures were announced during the summer, but the importance of getting the first three points on the board cannot be understated.