Celtic face Aberdeen on Sunday, and they will be going into the game without one of their most important players.
That player is Ryan Christie, who will be serving the second of his two game ban for the red card he received against Livingston.
One player who knows Christie well is Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes. He managed the Hoops midfielder during his 18-month loan spell at Pittodrie.
He believes that Christie could receive some major accolades at the end of the season.
“I said to my staff at the start of the season that he could be Scotland’s player of the year this year” McInnes said, as reported by the Press and Journal.
“Gives them that intensity”

“He gives them that intensity out of possession when he is in the team. In possession, he brings the quality as well as the work rate. He is as good, technically, as any player playing in the league.”
McInnes will be delighted that he does not have to come up against Christie in the upcoming league match between the teams.
Christie’s form this has been exceptional so far. His goal in the recent 2-1 win over Lazio was his 12th of the season.
Fantastic goalscoring record this season

That is a fantastic record for a player that is not a striker. If he continues that level of form between now and the end of the season there is a good chance that McInnes’ prediction will come true.
For now though, Hoops boss Neil Lennon must find a way to win at Pittodrie without one of his most important players.
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