Raith Rovers on-loan Dundee striker Craig Wighton has been renamed “Lazarus” by his team-mates after his remarkable recovery from what at first seemed to be a serious knee injury.
The 18-year-old had to be stretchered off against Hibs on Saturday after a hard but fair tackle from Lewis Stevenson.
Wighton was rushed to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital with fears of cruciate damage or even a break.
However, once the swelling had subsided, the Scotland Under-19 star was just left with severe bruising and Raith boss Ray McKinnon confirmed that Wighton would be returning to training with a view to being in the squad for Saturday’s trip to Livingston on league duty.
The manager said: “Craig will train today. The lads are calling him Lazarus but it did look a really bad one at the time.
“His knee just ballooned up and the doctor feared the worst.
“However, he should be in the squad for Saturday’s game if he gets through today’s training.
“Everybody else is fine apart from Craig Barr who played his first game for a while the other night but had to pull out at half-time because of his hamstring.
“He is struggling but we will just have to be patient with him as he has been out for so long.
“Craig has not played many games in the last year and a half.
“Ross Callachan also played and did well but we will take it easy with him.”
Even if Wighton does not recover in time for the Livi game, McKinnon has other striking options available to him, including former Dundee United and Rangers front man Jon Daly.
The big Irishman scored against Hibs and was an absolute handful for the Easter Road outfit throughout the game.
And McKinnon believes the Raith fans will now begin to see the best of the 32-year-old now that he is at the peak of fitness.
The manager said: “Jon is probably getting to his optimum fitness now. He has had a run of games under his belt and he is doing really well for us.
“He was denied a stonewall penalty against Hibs, the second time that has happened against them this season.
“We know his strengths and at the moment, he is doing great for us.
“He is causing all sorts of problems for defences with his presence, goal threat and just being Jon Daly.
“Hopefully he can keep that going.”
Raith will start firm favourites against a Livi side sitting second bottom of the Championship table.
Rovers beat Mark Burchill’s side 3-0 earlier this season however McKinnon is certainly taking nothing for granted and insists this is the toughest game of the campaign so far.
He added: “We said after we played them at the start of the season that they are a decent side.
“The core of their team is very strong right down the middle of the park.
“They played well against Rangers and then smashed Queen of the South 4-1 down there last week.
“They will be confident and feeling good going into the game against us.
“They will be determined to climb that table so this will probably be the toughest game of the season so far.
“We will be stressing to the players they have to play with a real intensity.
“The league table probably points in a different direction but this is a big game and the players have to be ready for it.”