Celtic have several loanees out looking to impress Brendan Rodgers and one man that falls into that category would be Marco Tilio.
Last summer, the Australia international joined Celtic for £1.5 million, but a mix of injury problems and struggles adjusting to Parkhead life led him back to his homeland on loan at the start of the year.
Unfortunately, Tilio has endured further fitness issues at Melbourne City and is scheduled to be out for at least another few weeks due to a partial tear to his hamstring tendon.
After a long period on the sidelines, Tilio showed signs of promise by scoring against Newcastle Jets, but a familiar tale has put yet another spanner in the works in his bid to claim regular minutes on a weekly basis.
With his Celtic prospects seeming unlikely, Aurelio Vidmar has shed some insight on how the winger is faring on the comeback trail.
Marco Tilio suffers minor Melbourne City injury setback
Aurelio Vidmar recently spoke about his squad availability at Melbourne City and noted that Tilio has encountered some issues after returning to training alongside Kai Trewin.
He stated before his side’s 2-2 draw against Auckland: “Tilio started also this week and having some issues again.
“He’s had a little setback this week. Nothing major but might push him back four or five days.”
Later, he added on his potential return timeline: “Tilio is more likely against Central Coast I would say, and hopefully Leckie too.”
Melbourne City are set to take on Central Coast Mariners on Hogmanay, so it may not be too long before the Celtic man is back out on the pitch.
What Marco Tilio has said about his Celtic future
It has to be said, there feels like there isn’t much of a chance supporters will see Tilio add two his two Celtic substitute appearances.
Ultimately, he was never able to break into the first-team picture despite his talent and there are now several positional competitors further up the pecking order.
Addressing his future earlier this year, Tilio admitted a Celtic exit could be on the cards as he seeks to kickstart his career, stating: “I just want to play consistent games, do really well and put myself in a really good position to either return to Scotland or go on loan elsewhere in Europe.”
Hopefully, he can get back on his feet in Melbourne before the Bhoys come to a decision on his long-term future.
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