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HARRY Milne is confident he will be fit and ready to go again for the start of next season.

Left-back Harry has been ruled out for the remainder of this campaign after undergoing surgery to the ankle injury suffered in training after we returned from the latest lockdown.

The 24-year-old is on the mend though and aims to be involved when the squad return to pre-season training after the summer break.

“I’ve always been a quick healer and things are going well,” said Harry, who acted as the match summariser for CRFC TV during last weekend’s 1-0 victory over Dumbarton at Balmoral Stadium.

“It was disappointing how things happened.

“It was only our fourth session back and a week away from our first game, away to Partick Thistle.

“Like everyone else, I was excited to finally be back and getting to catch up with the rest of the boys at the club.

“We had all looked after ourselves and were enjoying training together again and thrilled by the prospect of finally playing games again.

“From that sense, it was harder to handle because I had got a taste for playing again and was really looking forward to doing my bit for the remainder of the season.

“Injuries are part of football though and I just have to handle it and move on.

“I’m fortunate because this is the first really bad injury that I’ve had.

“I’ve had torn muscles and the like, but had only been out for a maximum of something like five weeks.

“It came as a big shock when I realised how long I would be sidelined with this one but I’ve come to terms with that now.

“As soon as it had been diagnosed that I had ruptured a couple of ligaments it was clear I would need the operation to sort things out.

“I have to express thanks for the way the club has looked after me since it happened.

“I’m fortunate to be at a club that will do whatever is needed to help players recover when they have injuries.

“It’s a bad year for the club financially for this sort of thing to happen because the situation with the COVID pandemic means there’s no revenue coming through the door.

“But the club made sure I got the best treatment possible and that will play a big part in me being able to make a full – and rapid – recovery.

“My rehabilitation is going well and as long as I follow the advice I’m given I should be back a bit earlier than was first predicted.

“I’m certainly expecting to be in my usual place when our first training session ahead of next season takes place.”

Missing our Scottish Cup tie against Rangers at Ibrox was particularly hard for Harry to handle, although he was able to attend and watch the game from the stands.

“I would have loved to have played in that one,” he said.

“It was still great to go down though and experience what it was like behind the scenes at the stadium.

“Hopefully there will be other opportunities to go to Ibrox with Cove in the future.”

There was a sad footnote to the trip to Ibrox.

Midfielder Jamie Masson has also been ruled out for the remainder of the season by the ankle injury he suffered during the second half of the cup tie.

Harry said:  “It’s tough on the club to see Jamie and myself being ruled out at such a crucial stage of the season.

“We are going to have to follow similar paths as far as recovery is concerned, so I expect we will be supporting each other along the way.

“It will help both us to have someone else there working on their fitness and offering encouragement.”

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