Celtic’s international duo of Odsonne Edouard and Hatem Abd Elhamed will be in the spotlight today for Celtic fans.
As we roll on to Tuesday, the international break is thankfully coming to a close. Scotland have failed to impress once again, whilst we’ve also been goaded for the umpteenth time for not signing John McGinn. Just a regular international break then.
But there is still some business to look forward to later on today. For Celtic supporters, all eyes should be on two men over the course of the day to see how they get on.
However, it’s fair to say that it’s for different reasons.
Can Odsonne Edouard keep up his mouth-watering France under-21 form?
Edouard has absolutely rattled onto the France under-21 scene over the last couple of months with some sensational displays for his country.
The big man has now scored six goals in his first three matches with the top youth squad. He’s now managed to bag braces against Latvia, Czech Republic, and Azerbaijan in recent outings.
It’s also great to see that Eddy is actually now a first-choice starter with the under-21s too. He’s now started the last two matches against the Czechs and Azerbaijan respectively.
Today, he’ll look to enhance his reputation further when his side travel to Slovakia for tonight’s Euro under-21 qualification match. The 5-0 rout of Azerbaijan was the perfect way to start their campaign, but it’ll be a lot tougher tonight against the Slovaks.
It’s unthinkable that Edouard doesn’t start for Sylvain Ripoll’s side, but you never know. Hopefully, he continues to prove his worth at under-21 level.
Will Hatem Abd Elhamed be fit enough to play for Israel?
One of the more concerning pieces of international news this cycle was the fitness worries of Elhamed.
Israel manager Andreas Herzog claimed that he couldn’t eat with the rest of the squad, and that he’s been spending much of his time in his hotel room with a virus (Daily Record).
This sounds like it could be more of a short-term illness. However, it would be ideal if he managed to make the squad for tonight’s game against Latvia.
Elhamed featured for 90 minutes against Austria in Israel’s 3-1 loss towards the end of last week. It seems that in between now and then he’s picked up something nasty.
If he doesn’t play tonight, it makes him an instant doubt for Saturday’s clash at home to Ross County. Sure, you can question whether Moritz Bauer should start that match in any case. But it won’t be long after that one before Lazio turn up at Parkhead for matchday three of the Europa League.
The big right-back will hopefully be back in the Israel squad tonight and ready to go. However, unlike Edouard’s situation, it’s tough to get your hopes up for the Israeli’s return.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
