Cameron Carter-Vickers has returned to training with the Celtic group this week, Brendan Rodgers has confirmed in a media conference.
Carter-Vickers has been missing since 13th August when he limped out of the match away to Aberdeen with a hamstring injury. He had only just returned from knee surgery that kept him out for the entire summer.
Fans have been anxious to get him back in the line-up, with other injuries in the central defensive position taking their toll. The USA international is now training at Lennoxtown again, but Rodgers has warned he will not be rushed back into action.
The Celtic boss said in his Thursday press conference: “We’ve got Cam Carter-Vickers who’s coming back to rejoin the training group, but he won’t be ready until after the international break, I would suspect.”
Celtic have three matches before that international break – a trip to face Motherwell and home matches against Lazio & Kilmarnock.
It means Carter-Vickers won’t return in a Celtic shirt until the Bhoys travel to Edinburgh to take on Hearts at Tynecastle.
It’s correct to be cautious here. Nobody wants to see Carter-Vickers miss another significant chunk of the season. Ensuring he is eased back up to full-match fitness will hopefully prevent further injury issues.
He essentially has three full weeks of training ahead before Rodgers will consider him for selection and that should be plenty of time to sidestep little niggles or issues arising from his return to the set-up.
Carter-Vickers is the best defender at the club and will assuredly take his place in the starting eleven alongside either Liam Scales or Gustaf Lagerbielke. Maik Nawrocki is still recovering from his own muscle injury.
In other news, The next managerial steps for Celtic hero Scott Brown could be very interesting.
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