Kasper Schmeichel suffered a shoulder injury during the recent international break while representing Denmark against Portugal. The situation might have gotten worse because the goalkeeper ended up playing on with the issue, as his side had already used up all their substitutes. Leaving the pitch would have left them not only down to ten men but an outfield player would have had to put on the gloves.
Coming out of the game, there were fears that Schmeichel could be out for the rest of the season. Of course, that would be terrible news for Celtic.
In a recent update, Brendan Rodgers suggested that Schmeichel could be out for five to six weeks. But now, there seems to be an unexpected twist in the situation.
As reported by the Daily Record, Schmeichel is back in Celtic training well ahead of schedule. The 38-year-old Danish goalkeeper has been pictured taking part in training today, which has offered hope that he could be back far sooner than anyone expected.
Celtic: Major twist in Kasper Schmeichel's injury situation
In the absence of Schmeichel, it is Viljami Sinisalo who has been handed the first-team gloves. He was signed in the summer from Aston Villa and had made only one appearance for the Hoops before this.
Sinisalo did do well in the game against Hearts last weekend though. He kept a cleansheet, which should boost his confidence, as he looks set for a little run as the first-choice goalkeeper for the Hoops.
It remains to be seen how long it will take Schmeichel to be back available. Just because he is back in training does not mean that he is back to full fitness once again. But it feels like his recovery is certainly going a lot faster than most people had anticipated. So, that's a positive.