Hibernian boss Lee Johnson answers John McGinn question ahead of Aston Villa tie
Latest Aston Villa news from BirminghamLive includes comments from Hibernian boss Lee Johnson ahead of Europa Conference League tie with Unai Emery's side
Hibernian boss Lee Johnson has spoken about his team's performance against Luzern to set up a double header with Aston Villa while asked about the reunion with John McGinn.
The Villa captain will return to Easter Road after spending three seasons representing the club between 2015 and 2018. He played a total of 136 games for Hibs.
Johnson's side meanwhile, won 5-3 on aggregate against Swiss outfit Luzern after a 3-1 home win and a 2-2 draw on the road. The clash with Villa, set to take place next week, has also been brought forward.
It was initially set to take place on Thursday but Hearts have also been drawn at home, as they are set to face PAOK from Greece. But it remains to be seen whether McGinn will get a hero's welcome by the home fans when he steps on the pitch.
READ MORE: Hibernian vs Aston Villa dates confirmed as Europa Conference League tie moved
READ MORE: Aston Villa dealt Marcos Acuna transfer blow as 'bid rejected' amid Sevilla deadline
"That doesn’t bother me so much if I’m honest. That’s one for the fans," Johnson said when quizzed about McGinn.
"What bothers us is getting through the next round of the cup, that’s really important and it will be a big ask again physically. The Aston Villa game might have been brought forward a day because I can’t fully pick the team going into Sunday.
"We’re still chasing a bit off a few. We can’t afford the injuries we’ve had. Josh and Elie back today makes a big difference to the quality of our XI so we need to look after the boys. Hopefully Dylan Levitt recovers. He’s not alright, but I don’t think it’s a break but more likely a bad ligament strain."
Johnson was pleased with his side's performance, describing his players as "trojans."
"Over the two legs the boys have been trojans," he added. "Make no mistake, they’re a top side.
"They’ve got really good ball manipulators and the way they move it, they’re busy and bright. When we broke over the two legs we looked really dangerous. It ain’t great for the heart when we’ve conceded and made it 2-1 and I’ve just thanked Martin Boyle for keeping me alive with that goal. We were buoyed by the thousand travelling fans.
"I’m so pleased for the board and the fan base and the staff, they work extremely hard. I don’t know how long ago Hibs got this far in the competition and now we’ve got to go again and try get into the group stage."