The Scottish Government has rejected Celtic’s requests to get Ryan Christie out of self isolation.
Last Wednesday on the say-so of a Lothian Health Track and Trace expert the midfielder was identified as a close contact of Stuart Armstrong.
Since June Christie has been operating social distancing in line with Celtic’s guidance with the player adamant that he kept his distance during last week’s international break.
Celtic and the player seem to have fallen foul of the Scottish Government and the SFA’s inability to enforce social distancing in their Games Room have ensured that a healthy Christie will be watching his team-mates in action on his television this weekend.
The Daily Record reports:
Record Sport under-stands Celtic’s top brass are bitterly disappointed government health experts have not given Christie the all-clear to face Rangers this weekend – despite the Scotland star recording a string of negative tests since being forced to leave Steve Clarke’s squad.
A club source said: “We’ve been badly affected over the international break and the situation with Ryan is particularly difficult to understand but the team has a big game to focus on this weekend and we have to get on with it.”
In his only newspaper interview this year Peter Lawwell spoke to the Daily Record in July about getting supporters back inside football grounds.
Nir Bitton and Hatem Abd Elhamed are also unavailable for Saturday’s match with Odsonne Edouard returning to Scotland on Friday.
Celtic are waiting anxiously on the outcome of the final batch of international matches tomorrow before getting round to planning Saturday’s match.
