Maryan Shved has barely played for Celtic this season.
Celtic fans were outraged on Monday when the Scottish Football Association slapped Ryan Christie with a two-match ban.
The Hoops midfielder has been punished for appearing to grab Alfredo Morelos’s groin area during the defeat by Rangers last month.
Celtic released a statement condemning the sanction but one player who could benefit from it is a certain Maryan Shved.
The rarely-seen Ukraine international is training with Neil Lennon’s side in Dubai right now and appears to have a role to play under the Northern Irishman, despite playing only 35 minutes this season.
The problem for Lennon is that he hasn’t been able to fit him into what is a brilliant first XI, but Christie’s imminent absence might remove that issue for the Bhoys manager.
James Forrest has been operating on the left-hand side of attack in recent weeks and, with Christie suspended, there’s a spot available on the right wing.
And it just so happens that Shved is indeed a right-sided attacker and one who might fancy his chances of replacing his Celtic team-mate when the winter break ends.
The 22-year-old, a £2 million signing last January [The Scottish Sun], has been strangely treated by Lennon after scoring a worldie in Champions League qualifying during the summer.
He’s barely been since but maybe, just maybe, Christie’s punishment opens the door for him a little.
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