Spartans star won't return until 2024 manager confirms

Tegan Reynolds clears the ball. Credit Spartans Women

Spartans defender Tegan Reynolds will not return to the pitch until 2024 Debbi McCulloch has confirmed. 

The 23-year-old has been out with an ACL injury since March since going down against Hearts last season. The defender was one of the club’s best players that term as she locked down the capital side’s backline. Spartans initially hoped that Reynolds would be back out onto the pitch by the end of the calendar year. However, that is not looking likely.

“You can set a target of nine months but it looks like it is more likely to be 12 months,” McCulloch told the Edinburgh Evening News. “We are hoping that is going to start getting back on the pitch and jogging pretty soon. Her progress has been really good over the past few weeks but I certainly don’t see her kicking a competitive ball before the turn of the year. We are looking more probably towards the tail end of the season. Hopefully, we can make that happen and get her back on the pitch as soon as possible.”

Reynolds is one of multiple players who have been out of action for Spartans this season. Goalkeeper Rachel Harrison is currently unavailable while Tegan Browning and Becky Galbraith have been out with head injuries for the past few games. 

“It will depend on how long she remains symptomatic,” McCulloch said about Galbraith’s injury last week. “Tegan Browning for example has been out since the Hearts game and that was a minor concussion. Until the symptoms leave, there won’t be any training, there won’t be any return to play.

"We have to treat this very seriously and unfortunately, Becky [Galbraith’s] symptoms are very serious because it was a serious concussion that was sustained. It is timing, it is individual, there is no way we can put a time on it. Sooner rather than later would be great, however, her health comes first and until she hasn’t got any symptoms then unfortunately, she won’t be on the pitch.”