THE timing of the injury could hardly have been crueller.
The serious knee problem sustained by Lewis Ferguson in April ruled him out of Euro 2024 spot with Scotland – not to mention the likelihood of a moneyspinning move Juventus in the company of his old gaffer Thiago Motta.
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But the good news is that Lewis Ferguson is now back on a football field just shy of seven months down the line.
The midfielder became a hugely popular figure with the Bologna fans after a season which saw him named Serie A midfielder of the year.
He shrugged off a recent illness to take his spot on the bench as Bologna took on Lecce at the Renato Dall’ara Stadium.
And he was duly introduced as new Bologna boss Vincenzo Italiano sought a spark for his team after a goalless first half.
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There were a couple of former SPFL stars in the team he was facing in the form of former Rangers midfielder Lassana Coulibaly and Aberdeen midfielder Ylber Ramadani.
And he had an instant impact with Bologna opening the scoring just three minutes after his arrival in the 82nd minute.
Ricardo Orsolini opened the scoring with a header and the Rossoblu duly held on to take the three points.
With Steve Clarke set to announce his latest Scotland squad on Monady, it’s good timing for Ferguson to make his return.
Ferguson has previously spoken in detail about the trauma of being told he was facing a lengthy spell on the sidlines.
He said: “My knee was unstable. I didn’t feel good. I had too much pain. The doctors came to me and they said, you know, it’s the ACL, also the meniscus.
“You’re not going to play for six months. It all just fell apart for me. But yeah, this is football.
“After the operation, I can remember it was a Thursday night and I think it was Europa League games was on.
“I was asking myself questions. How is it possible to move like these guys, you know? But yeah, I had a little bit of fear.
“There has been a lot of change at the club in the summer. Of course, results haven’t been what we wanted.
“But yeah, I see a lot of good things and the fans would be proud of the team.
“I just want to return as strong as possible. I want to have the same feelings that I had last season when I played.
“This is just the nature of a Scottish player, I think. You have the desire and the will to win.”
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