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Hibernian are the first opponents for Motherwell in the 2018/19 Ladbrokes Premiership.

Neil Lennon’s men lie in wait at Easter Road with both teams having played four competitive games already in cup and European action this campaign.

Making refinements

Neil Lennon has spent the summer making tweaks to his settled squad. The departures of Scott Allan and Dylan McGeouch had the potential to have an impact, but the recruitment of Stevie Mallan has gone some way towards reducing that deficit.

Florian Kamberi, having netted nine goals in 14 appearances on loan from Grasshoppers, was signed on a permanent basis and has continued his form, scoring four in four in the Europa League qualifiers so far.

Adam Bogdan has also been brought in from Liverpool to add options in the goalkeeping position and has established himself as number one in the matches so far.

Hibs in scoring form

Four games, 16 goals. That’s Hibernian’s record so far in the 2018/19 campaign season. Having scored 12 over two games against NSI Runavik in the first qualifying round of the Europa League, they then grabbed another three at home to Asteras Tripolis. Things calmed down in their most recent game, when they drew 1-1 away in Greece.

Home comforts

Easter Road has become something of a fortress for the Hibees of late.

Of their last 15 competitive games on home turf, they have won 11, drawn three and lost just once. In that time, they’ve netted 38 and conceded 20.

Defender Cédric Kipré has left the club to join English Championship side Wigan Atheltic.

The 21-year-old Parisian joined ‘Well in the summer of 2017 from Leicester City and made an immediate impression, following a string of impressive performances.

The youngster, who also played for Paris Saint-Germain, became a fan favourite and broke into the Ivory Coast international side, playing for their Under 23s in a 5-0 win against Togo.

He finished his rookie season having featured 49 times in claret and amber, playing more domestic minutes than any player in Scotland last term. He added a further three appearances in the Betfred Cup this season.

Kipré joins the Latics for a significant fee, with the club also potentially earning more should the player excel at the DW Stadium. He has signed a three-year contract with the club.

“Although it’s with a heavy heart that we lose Cédric, his progress over the last year has been remarkable and it’s little wonder English Championship clubs have been circling,” ‘Well boss Stephen Robinson said.

“He has the potential to go all the way to the top in my opinion and we very much wish him well in his future career. He will always be welcome back at Fir Park.

“We have been working on a potential replacement and hope to have something completed on that front as soon as possible.”

The 6ft 3in defender is not the first Motherwell player to head south for Wigan, with Lee McCulloch and Stevie McMillan following a similar path almost 20 years ago.

Kipré himself added: “I would like to thank everyone at Motherwell, especially the manager and the fans, for everything they have done for me.

“I loved it at the club and it was hard to leave, but this is a really big move for my family and I and we are excited by the challenge.

“Motherwell will always have a special place in my heart though and I will be cheering the team on wherever I am.”

Chief executive Alan Burrows said: “The model we have at the club is built and based around the development and trade of players, everyone gets that.

“That said, you always have mixed emotions at these times. Whilst you are happy for the player and share in the sense of pride at seeing someone develop and move up the ladder, it’s a wrench to see such a talented player leave for the last time.

“However, when the full balance of the fee is paid, it will go down as one of the most lucrative in Motherwell’s history, with the potential to be the most depending on how Cédric performs at Wigan.

“We believe that represents good business and we will be working with Stephen Robinson to try and find a replacement.”

Everyone at Motherwell FC would like to thank Cédric for his contribution whilst at Fir Park and wish him every success in his future career.

The Ladbrokes Premiership kicks off for Motherwell on Sunday as we travel to take on Hibernian at Easter Road.

Stephen Robinson’s men head into the match looking to start the campaign on a high, after their Betfred Cup group stage campaign ended successfully.

Unbeaten

Of those four competitive games played so far this season, the Steelmen are unbeaten. Three wins and a draw got the team through to the knockout stages, where they will travel to face Livingston.

A 5-0 win over Edinburgh City was followed by a 1-1 draw at Stranraer, a 2-0 victory over Queen of the South and a comeback 3-1 win at Clyde.

Hibs in Europe

Neil Lennon’s side, meanwhile, have also been in competitive action already, playing four games in the Europa League qualifiers.

In those matches, Hibs have managed to net 16 times, conceding eight. A 6-1 home win over NSI Runavik was followed by a 6-4 win away to the Faroe Islands side.

Greek side Asteras Tripolis followed, with the team coming from 2-0 down at home to win 3-2 and then draw 1-1 away to progress.

Past encounters

Motherwell made two trips to Leith last campaign, taking a point from their opening encounter and narrowly losing the second.

An early-season visit to Easter Road saw the Steelmen go 2-0 down to goals from Anthony Stokes. But the visitors rallied, with Louis Moult bagging a double to take home a point.

An even contest on the second trip in January saw Motherwell go 2-0 down again. Curtis Main got one back late on and the prospect of another comeback draw was on the cards, but the hosts held firm.

Absences to contend with

Charles Dunne, Craig Tanner and Ryan Bowman are all on the sidelines through injury, while Allan Campbell and Barry Maguire are suspended for the trip to Easter Road.

Curtis Main believes Motherwell’s unbeaten start to the season will boost confidence going into the opening Ladbrokes Premiership game.

The Steelmen travel to Easter Road on Sunday for the curtain raiser and the striker says having a winning habit will stand the team in good stead.

Ryan Bowman will be out for up to six weeks with an ankle injury.

Manager Stephen Robinson confirmed ahead of the trip to Hibernian that the striker will spend time on the sidelines, after picking up the knock after being on the end of a tackle in the win over Queen of the South.

“We’ve lost Ryan because of a tackle, which can’t really be prevented,” he confirmed. “It’s a contact sport and Ryan will be out for six weeks.

“It is par for the course as a footballer, unfortunately. We also lost Charles Dunne with a strange injury and he’s also out for a period of time.

“I’m confident with the other boys we’ve brought in. It’s up to them to step up to the plate and take the opportunity.”

You can keep up-to-date with all the latest injuries and suspensions on our team news page.

Stephen Robinson says his Motherwell players have stepped things up in training as they prepare for the first Ladbrokes Premiership game of the season.

The Steelmen travel to Hibernian on Sunday off the back of a four-game unbeaten run in the Betfred Cup group stages and are looking to continue their form into the league campaign.

The Ladbrokes Premiership campaign kicks off on Sunday as Motherwell make the trip to Edinburgh to take on Hibernian.

Here are some key numbers and stats you need to know going into the curtain raiser.

Eight

The number of years since Motherwell lost an opening day fixture away from home.

That result came in 2010 away to… Hibernian. The Steelmen had the lead early on through John Sutton but were pegged back through goals from Anthony Stokes, Paul Hanlon and Liam Miller, before a Jamie Murphy penalty rounded off the scoring in a 3-2 defeat.

Since then, Motherwell have won five of their seven opening day fixtures, drawn one and lost one, with that defeat coming at home to Rangers last season.

Also eight

Eight is also the number of consecutive games Motherwell have scored at Easter Road.

You have to go back to 2009 for the last time we failed to net in Leith, when Stokes netted a double in a 2-0 win for the Hibees.

30

The amount of goals scored at Easter Road in the last four games played there. A 5-3 win over Kilmarnock towards the end of the 2017/18 campaign was followed by a 5-5 draw against Rangers.

The first two European games of the season saw yet more goal fests. A 6-1 win over NSI Runavik was then followed by a moderately calmer 3-2 comeback win against Asteras Tripolis.

Four

The low amount of goals scored in Motherwell’s last five games on their travels.

Two 0-0 draws at Ross County and St Johnstone were accompanied by 1-0 victories at Dundee and Partick Thistle, and a 2-0 reversal at Hamilton Academical.

Motherwell will face Livingston in the last 16 of the 2018/19 Betfred Cup.

Having topped their group, the Steelmen were unseeded for Sunday’s draw at Tynecastle.

Stephen Robinson’s side will now make the trip to play the Lions at the Tony Macaroni Arena in the first knockout round.

The tie will be played on Saturday, 18 August with a 3pm kick off.

Motherwell took their time but eventually recovered from a potential Betfred Cup exit to defeat Clyde and reach the knockout stages.

Our Story of the Match feature captures the emotions and the action from our win at Broadwood from the angles you don’t normally see.

Motherwell will be one of the unseeded teams in the draw for the knockout stages of the 2018/19 Betfred Cup.

The Steelmen will learn their opponents on Sunday, immediately following the final group game between Hearts and Inverness CT.

The four European entrants will enter the round of 16 as seeds, with the best four group winners also being seeded.

One seeded spot is still to be confirmed. Motherwell’s potential opponents so far are:

• Aberdeen
• Celtic
• Hibernian
• Rangers
• Ayr United
• Dunfermline Athletic
• St Johnstone

Dependent on the result of Hearts v Inverness CT on Sunday, either Inverness CT or Livingston will be the final seeded team.

An Inverness CT win at Tynecastle, or a bonus point draw after penalties, will make them one of the seeds. Any other result will see Livingston seeded.

Motherwell will be joined as non-seeds by Inverness CT or Livingston, Ross County, Kilmarnock, Dundee, St Mirren and Queen of the South. The final place in the knockout stages will also be determined by the result in Sunday’s final match.