Ange Postecoglou has suggested we won’t see Oliver Abildgaard in significant Celtic action until after the international break as he continues to get up to speed in training.
Abildgaard was named on the substitute’s bench for the recent trip to Warsaw to face Shakhtar Donetsk, but didn’t make his debut.
Now, the Celtic boss has indicated we may not see him on Sunday away to St Mirren either, given his current fitness situation.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference, Postecoglou said: “In terms of Oliver, he’s a bit different because he missed all of pre-season and came in late. He wasn’t really training. We’ve got to be a bit patient with him.
“We’ve got another two weeks of international break where we can do some work with him. I think you’ll see more of him post-international break, rather than now.”
Celtic’s immediate matches after the upcoming break are against Motherwell, RB Leipzig and St Johnstone, so if he doesn’t make an appearance off the bench this weekend then those are the candidates for that first appearance.
There is definite intrigue about what Abildgaard will offer this unit given he doesn’t really have a similar profile to anyone else in the squad.
Is Ange planning on the player peaking for the doubleheader against Leipzig, where his disruptive defensive midfield work could be a game-changer? You wouldn’t bet against it at this stage.
Regardless, hopefully he’s a hit in a Celtic shirt this season across the long-term. There’s no real need to rush him in before he’s ready.
In other news, “Depends on what you’re reading or listening to”; Ange Postecoglou’s spot on response to Celtic banner issue.
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