Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney has set his sights on being fit for the start of pre-season after a knee injury ruined his end to this campaign.
Tierney first felt a problem against Wolves in February but carried on playing. After the March international break, he then felt his knee go again while doing leg exercises in the gym.
The left-back will miss Scotland’s World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine on Wednesday, but he is hoping to be back in time for the start of the new season.
“I’m a terrible spectator,” Tierney told SunSport. “Not being able to do anything to help the team, I hate it.
“My target is to be back for the end of June and the start of pre-season at Arsenal. I’m on course for that. My rehab’s going well.
“We played Wolves at home in February and I felt something in my knee in the first half. I told the physios and we tested it. But it was fine and it also wasn’t that sore.
“I carried on playing for Arsenal, then reported for Scotland duty and played twice with no problems. I came back completely fine. Then I was doing some leg exercises in the gym and my left knee clicked.
“I instinctively felt it wasn’t right and that I should probably go for a scan. I wasn’t in any great pain. I’d played for Arsenal and we’d been winning, then for Scotland I got a goal and an assist. So there had been nothing to worry about after that Wolves match.
“But the scan result came back and suddenly I’m needing an op. It was so unfortunate. But after that click I just knew it wasn’t normal.”
