Celtic and Scotland have received a huge New Year boost as medics revealed Ryan Christie could be back in action before the end of January.
Christie was rushed into hospital immediately after Sunday’s Old Firm derby for surgery to repair a damaged groin sparking fears the attacker might miss out on a large stretch of the title race as well as the crunch Euro 2020 play-offs in March.
But Record Sport has learned the initial prognosis is a great deal more positive and the Parkhead club believe Christie could even make a full recovery in time for Celtic’s first game back after the winter break, a Scottish Cup tie at Partick Thistle on January 18.
Our source said: “Obviously there were concerns after the Rangers game when Ryan was told he needed an operation.
“But the good news is it doesn’t look anywhere near as serious as some had feared.
"The expected time schedule for his recovery is somewhere between two and three weeks which is good news for Ryan, for Celtic and for Scotland."
