Celtic fans might not want to hear it, but a harsh truth regarding the club’s title ambitions has just been delivered by Stephen McGinn.
While the Falkirk coach initially backed Martin O’Neill’s ‘title know-how’ to get the Hoops over the line this season, he admitted his confidence has wavered due to the constant squad rotation.
“Every time you check a Celtic team, you think they are getting key players back, then another key player is out,” McGinn observed, warning that this relentless cycle “could make them fall short” in this brutal Scottish Premiership title run-in.
As frustrating as it is to hear that assessment from the outside, McGinn is probably right.
You only have to look at last week’s massive Scottish Cup derby against Rangers, where Celtic were forced into an ugly battle without both Callum McGregor and Kieran Tierney.
When high-profile leaders are sidelined for those critical matches, title chances take a massive hit. On that occasion, Celtic took the tie to extra time and penalties, before mentally destroying their rivals.
But you can’t win every game with just one shot at the opposition’s goal.
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Celtic are now staring down the barrel of the post-split fixtures, and every single game from after the March international break is pure do-or-die.
The silver lining is that the treatment room is finally clearing, with crucial figures like McGregor and Alistair Johnston due back.
However, if Celtic are to actually win this league, the Bhoys simply cannot afford any more casualties, as McGinn told Sky Sports Football.
“We managed to beat Hearts on penalties in the Scottish Cup, but in the league games against Hearts and Celtic, we haven’t taken any points,” said McGinn, when comparing what it’s like playing against all three title challengers.
“They have been a step ahead of us in the game, and in different ways. I think it’s really close between them.
“We had a bit more joy against Rangers in the two games, and obviously, we have them in a few weeks. I don’t think there is much between the three teams.
“I genuinely thought, sitting here, if you said to me when Martin O’Neill came in for his second spell, just with title know-how, with a manager that has won the league before, I thought if it looked like this with about seven or eight games to go, then Celtic would win it.
“But every time you check a Celtic team, you think they are getting key players back, then another key player is out, so that could make them fall short, in terms of not having your best players available to them.”
Current injured Celtic players
Some simply won’t return before the season ends, and that’s a huge shame, including the long-term injured Jota.
Hopefully, Celtic fans hear something positive about Jota, because his injury has been brutal, and is now heading down the road of being a risk to his career, given that it’s been nearly over 12 months since he has been out.
Another individual who Celtic aren’t expected to see again is Cameron Carter-Vickers, but others are due back, and hopefully, they don’t need to dust off many cobwebs, and they can hit the ground running.
- Callum McGregor
- Injury status: Before, if not after the March international break
- Jota
- Injury status: Unknown date, not expected to return this season
- Cameron Carter-Vickers
- Injury status: Still pushing to make the 2026 World Cup, but not expected to return this season
- Arne Engels
- Injury status: Back in training
- Alistair Johnston
- Injury status: After the international break
- Kasper Schmeichel
- Injury status: After the international break
- Callum Osmand
- Injury status: Suffered a minor setback during recuperation, but could still return before the season’s end
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