Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers isn’t expecting Carl Starfelt to be out for a considerable period of time, suggesting he could even be involved in Tuesday night’s friendly at home to Athletic Bilbao.
Starfelt was a surprise omission from today’s squad for the Dublin clash against Wolves, not even making the trip. However, it seems his injury issue is minor.
New signing Maik Nawrocki is also set to come into contention after a similar ankle issue to the Swedish international.
And there’s further good news from the Bhoys boss too, who has suggested the majority of Celtic’s recent defensive absences are closing in on a return.
Rodgers said [Daily Record]: “Carl twisted his ankle, so he couldn’t travel. Hopefully, he’ll be okay for Tuesday. Kobayashi will be out for a few weeks. He obviously got injured in one of the games in Japan.
“Maik Nawrocki tweaked his ankle before he trained with us, but hopefully he’ll be okay for Tuesday and hopefully Tony Ralston and Cam won’t be too far away. They’ve come back training with the squad. It was too soon for them to play. They’ll be back with us in the morning for training and then we’ll see where they’re at for Tuesday.”
Clearly, it’s far from ideal that many defensive options have missed out on match time, but the update is a pleasing one. There’s no great drama, no transfer exit and no long-term injury on the Starfelt front.
Bolstered by the rest of the group, Celtic’s defence should actually be in pretty strong shape for the season opener against Ross County next weekend. The only blow is Kobayashi.
Which line-up is Rodgers’ preferred choice remains to be seen, but the smart money will be on Starfelt and Carter-Vickers continuing their strong partnership, to begin with.
It’ll be great to have them back together for the first time in months and it’s a major bonus that could happen in time for the Scottish Premiership kicking off.
In other news, Brendan Rodgers reacts after Celtic draw with Wolves; how Bhoys can improve further.
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