JULLIEN COMEBACK HINT

CHRISTOPHER JULLIEN’S 13-month injury hell could end in this evening’s Scottish Cup opener at Alloa.

The towering French central defender hasn’t featured since a sickening collision with a post in Celtic’s 3-0 Premiership win over Dundee United at Parkhead on December 30 2020.

Jullien had to undergo knee surgery after his clash with the woodwork as he raced back to courageously clear a shot from Marc McNulty off the line that had beaten Vasilis Barkas and would have brought the Tannadice side back into the contest early in the second-half with the Hoops leading 2-0 at the time.

However, it appears months of rehab, dedication and patience from the 28-year-old centre-back who cost £7million from Toulouse in the summer of 2019 are about to pay off with a long-awaited return to action.

Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking to the Daily Record, admitted: “He’s been training well since the restart and doing everything with the team.

“He is obviously not ready to play 90 minutes at the level he wants to, more than anything else, but he will get in over the next few weeks.

“There is a good chance he will be involved against Alloa.”

* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Alloa v Celtic this evening – only in your champion CQN.