Rayan Christie could still feature in Celtic’s SFA Cup final clash with Hearts at the end of May, according to the Scottish Sun.
The Hoops’ midfielder was stretchered off following a gruesome aerial collision with Dominic Ball against Aberdeen on Sunday, and the club confirmed that he will require surgery to fix multiple facial fractures.
There is still hope, however, that the 24-year-old could recover from the procedure in time to play some part in the finale of the competition at Hampden Park on May 25th.
OPINION
Looking at Christie in the aftermath of that injury, it’s hard to imagine him playing football anytime soon. His face is swollen and discoloured beyond recognition, and the damage done by that horrendous clash with Dominic Ball is enough to make anybody wince. That being said, May 25th is still five and a half weeks away, and if his surgery is a success, there is no reason why he should give up on his hopes of featuring just yet. The closest comparative case study the Hoops have is the injury suffered by teammate Kristoffer Ajer against Livingstone last November. After that particular incident, the defender was back in training in three weeks, and able to play for the first team again a little over a month later. Christie’s injury could be worse, and everybody heals differently, but hopes will be high that he could still make a difference for the Bhoys in their pursuit of the treble treble.