Celtic star yet to feature under Ange could make first appearance next month

By David Walton

December 30, 2021

Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that centre-back Christopher Jullien could make his Hoops return as soon as next month.

Jullien was one of a number of players sidelined over the course of December. However, unlike the other crocked stars, the Frenchman had already been out for a prolonged period of time. Indeed, Jullien has been out with a knee injury since December 2020 and it’s been a long road back since.

Many Celtic fans had previously hoped that the defender would’ve returned before 2021 was up. However, despite making a full return to full training 2 months ago, the process has been slow.

But finally it looks as though things are on the up for the former Toulouse man. Postecoglou has been speaking about Jullien in particular, and stated that he should be available for selection when Scottish football gets up and running again after the winter break.

As quoted by the Glasgow Times, Ange said: “He’s had a couple of little setbacks but we are hoping now that he’s at a point where he’s ready to train fully with the team and make himself available. He’ll be a great addition, he’ll be like a new signing for us and we are looking forward to having him back.

“He’s good player, he’s very commanding, he’s very confident in himself. So we are keen to get him involved and I’m sure he can add to us.”

Things have changed a lot at Celtic since Christopher Jullien last played

When Jullien left the pitch in the middle of that 3-0 win over United 12 months ago, nobody would’ve imagined the picture at Celtic changing so dramatically before he stepped back out.

All of a sudden, the 10 is gone along with Neil Lennon and half the team. In has come Ange Postecoglou, a host of new players, and a totally new philosophy and playing style. It’s been a heck of a 12 months for Jullien even if he hasn’t played a single minute.

The news of the Frenchman’s return has certainly sparked optimism in the Celtic support. Likely down to a combination of his qualities and the fact we’re still light in that particular position. Adding another experienced player into the ranks will never do anything other than raise the morale levels.

But even so, there are still major question marks over what level Jullien is operating at. How much has his injury set him back in the long term? Does he still need an extended period to get up to speed in terms of match-fitness? Does he have the physical capabilities now to adapt to Postecoglou’s style of play? All questions that will need to be answered.

These questions only add to the anticipation when it comes to Jullien’s return. We want to see him return so that we can have them answered as much as we just want another quality addition back in the ranks.

There’s no denying Jullien’s return is a big boost for the club. But now we sit and hope he can reach the levels he was at before his time on the sidelines.

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