For a couple of months many Celtic fans became injury experts as they waited for Kieran Tierney to return from injury.
As the games and weeks drifted by the injury became more serious and concerning for all except one person- the defender himself.
Tierney lives and breathes Celtic and heard the rumours- he was facing a season out of action with the same injury that required virtually a hip replacement for Andy Mirray!
After trying to return to action for the festive fixtures at Pittodrie Tierney decided to take complete rest and was returned by returning to action against Motherwell on February 24.
The rumours and doomsday fears have given way with Tierney able to look back with a smile at how others viewed his absence.
“I never came out and said that I had a hip injury but, apparently, I was going for a hip operation and it was the same one Andy Murray had,” the hoops hero explained to The Sun.
“It’s funny how things grow arms and legs, with people saying one thing which leads to another. You don’t believe everything you read.
“The Celtic fans were always with me, asking, ‘When you are you back?’ They really cared and that makes you feel wanted as well. It was unfortunate for me that I had ten weeks out, but that’s football.
“It was always just rest I needed. There is nothing you can do for the problem other than rest.
“There is no operation that would have been helpful in any way for it. It was just overused and the ten weeks did me the world of good. Today I actually feel all right with it. It’s perfect.
“Maybe next season with all those games so tight together again it could feel a bit achy but it’s nothing likely to affect me in the long-term.
“Walking around was fine, but I just couldn’t play to my full capacity. When you are at Celtic, you need to be able to do that.
“And in the left-back position as well, you need to be able to get up and down the pitch for 90 minutes.
“If I can’t do that, then that’s a big chunk of my game missing. You don’t want that.
“There were ways that I could maybe have battled through a game or two but battling through ten weeks of pain like that wouldn’t have been good for anyone.”
With his injury problems behind him Tierney is looking forward to the run in to the domestic season and the opportunity to complete another treble.
The Wishaw bhoy has got three title medals in his collection with a fourth within sight after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Dundee at Dens Park.
An unusual and interesting type of move, good luck to @MarkHill73 https://t.co/itaczvAJ36
— Joe McHugh (@videocelts) March 20, 2019